The Shinobi at Magic High School
by Fabuzer
Summary: At First Magic High School, from the very start you are labelled as a 'Bloom' or 'Weed'. That is an undeniable fact. From the Uzumaki Clan, the authority in Ancient Magic, a blonde student enrolls. Considering himself as neither an elite or failure, frowning on the title 'Magician', he uses a completely different term for himself: "I'm a Shinobi, not a Magician."
1. Enrollment I: It's Shinobi, not Magician

**A bunch of ideas for new stories are lately crossing my mind. I don't like dimensional warp fanfics in which the protagonist simply proceeds to ****humiliate the remaining characters****, if they're well done it's another matter but personally I can't keep on reading stories like that. That's why I prefer crossovers in which two series actually fit each other or where you bring them in the same universe. You can surprisingly fit Naruto and Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei well together, when I saw Yakumo-sensei I immediately thought 'hairless Kakashi'. For the scar, you know…**

**Well then, right now I'm going to start, support me by pointing out errors, grammar and giving me tips. You may notice that my writing style changes sometimes, that's because I wasn't sure about what to settle with but the style near the end is probably the one I'll use.**

**Send flames if they satisfy your ego, I'll just treat them as tough love. No, on second thought please don't, they can be annoying.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei or any other mentioned works.**

_Magic._

_It's a product of neither legends nor fairy tales, but instead has become a technology of reality since a time unknown to people._

_The first verifiable record dates back to AD 1999._

_The incident, in which police officers in possess of special powers stopped a nuclear act of terror carried out by a fanatic group in order to fulfill the prophecy of destroying humanity, became the first known case of magic in modern times._

_Initially, the unusual ability was known with the term of Supernatural Power. An ability that was present in a person as a result of a sudden mutation, whose systematization as a technology which could be spread among the masses was thought to be an impossible thing._

_That was a wrong notion._

_Through the research of Supernatural Power by both the influential Eastern and Western nations, the existence of people who were imparted with Magic was gradually made public. It became possible to reproduce Supernatural Power through Magic._

_Of course, talent is required to do that. However, only those who are blessed with a high aptitude can attain a mastery that can allow them to be called professionals, much like those who possess talents in the fine arts or sciences._

_Supernatural power became a technology able to work and function through magic, while magic became a technical skill. A Supernatural Power User became a "Magic Technician."_

_Skilled Magic Technicians, capable of suppressing even nuclear weapons, are powerful weapons to a country._

_At the end of the 21st century — in the year 2095 — the various nations of the world, which are far from unified, are locked in a race to grow Magic Technicians._

_The First High School is affiliated with the National University of Magic._

_It is an upper-level, magic institution known to send the most graduates to the National University of Magic every year._

_At the same time, it is also an elite school that churns out the largest number of excellent Magicians._

_With regard to magic education, there is no official stance on providing an equal opportunity in education._

_This country, Japan, does not have the luxury to do so._

_Furthermore, childish, idealistic debates revolving around the clear disparity that exists between the capable and the incapable are not tolerated._

_Thoroughly talent-driven._

_Harshly competence-oriented._

_That's the world of magic._

_In this school where only elites are accepted, right at the start of enrollment, the students are already divided into high achievers and low achievers._

_From the start, you are either a 'Bloom' or a 'Weed'. _

_Ten Master Clans._

_A title given to the 10 most influential magic families in Japan, they are chosen from 28 families and the ones who get picked gain power beyond juridical authority while the remaining clans become the 18 Assistant Houses, waiting for their chance to rise in this top ten._

_Even so, not all choose to enter this system called Numbers._

_The Magicians who were the firsts to practice Magic, before the establishment of the Ten Mater Clans, are called Elements due to their categorization of Magic based on the traditional attributes of nature._

_Fire, Water, Earth, Lightning, Wind._

_For the purpose of not labelling themselves as a threat, they had scientists implant inside them genes which compelled absolute obedience to their leaders._

_Even so, a few refused to do such an act of prostration and humiliation._

_They could afford to do so due to possessing great power, on par to that of the 10 Master Clans._

_A whirlpool which gathers everyone and everything inside, that's what permitted this Clan to grow strong and equal in strength to the Number Family System._

_No outsider knows that it's a family composed of many Shinobi clans._

_The Uzumaki Clan._

**XxX**

"I can't accept it!"

"…again, Miyuki?"

Two persons, a man and woman, were standing in front of the auditorium where an entrance ceremony would be held.

It was still 2 hours before the start, but even so these two were seemingly arguing, one calmly and the other upset about some matter.

They also wore similar clothing, a uniform mostly white with parts colored in azure and black.

Even so, there was a striking difference between them.

While the female adorned a symbol in the shape of an eight-petal flower on both of her shoulders, the male only possessed a void, grey space in the place where it was supposed to be held the same emblem.

"Onii-sama, you received the top score in the entrance exams, so why are you a reserve?! You should be the freshmen's representative instead of me!" The female, who was screaming about what she deemed as an unfair had a stunning beauty capable of enchanting the few people passing near them despite their fight. She had glossy, black hair without a kink on it and her face possessed beautiful, lovely traits even when a frustrated look was present on it.

"Ignoring you knowledge about my entrance test score… this is a Magic High School after all, so it's obvious they would place more importance in the practice rather that the theory, right?" The man who replied in an extremely calm way was tall and well-built under his uniform, having black short hair. He was really different from the woman in the fact that he was mundane-looking. His face, opposite to the upset look of the girl, was expressionless without emotion leaking from it. His tone of voice seemed more suited to gently scolding a child rather than talking to someone.

"Miyuki, you're aware of the extent of my practical skill, right? I'm more surprised that they accepted me as a Course 2 Student."

It could be presumed that they were both siblings due to the girl, Miyuki, calling the man 'Onii-sama'. Such a suffix hinted to a close relationship between the brother and sister. Even so, as mentioned before, they didn't resemble each other at all due to the otherworldly appearance of Miyuki and the ordinary face of her brother.

Miyuki, hearing the response of her sibling grew even angrier than before, lashing out once again with a sharp tongue: "How can you be so unsure of yourself?! You're unmatched in studies and Taijutsu and yet…! No, even in Magic you…!"

"Miyuki!"

The calm tone of the man became a strong one without adding any feeling of anger in, it was more suited for calling out someone or catching one's attention. Even when someone would usually be offended at the girl for being so rude, the man showed no sign of such emotion and still maintained a straight look.

Hearing him raising his voice, the girl who was previously lashing out immediately shut her mouth and grew silent.

"You can understand, right? Even so, that it can't be helped?" There was a hint of a taciturn agreement in these words muttered by the brother.

His words calmed Miyuki, in an instant she sheepishly shifted her eyes to the ground and adopted a shamed expression as if being scolded by an adult for mentioning or doing something forbidden.

"…I apologize."  
>"Miyuki…" Not capable of bearing her miserable face similar to a kicked puppy, the man started to slowly stroke her glossy black hair with a tender touch while thinking of a way to repair the broken mood of his precious sister "…I'm happy, I feel saved whenever you get angry in my place."<p>

"Liar."

"I'm not lying."

"You're a liar, Onii-sama. You always scold me…" Miyuki puffed her cheeks childishly, giving her an even cuter appearance.

"As I said, I'm not lying. I always hold you in my thoughts like you do for me." This statement was not meant with any perverse undertone, it was just pure honesty of the siblings' love that the male felt towards her.

Yet, these words registered in Miyuki's mind with a completely different meaning.

"Onii-sama… what you just said…"

'Uh?' The young man wondered when his sister started to mutter something. After that, she simply turned around, bringing a hand to her cheek while having both an embarrassed and dreaming look.

The brother, on the other hand, could just feel as if he had created a big misunderstanding that needed to be cleared in order to avoid future awkward situations, but he promptly ignored it at the moment to resolve the current matter.

"Even if you try to give me the role, they won't accept me. If you back out now, your reputation will be stained." He said this in a serious voice, concerned for how the public viewed his sibling "You understand right? You're a smart girl, Miyuki."

"But…" Despite her acceptance of the fact, she was still a little hesitant to let the matter go.

"Besides, I'm looking forward to it. Show this useless brother your glorious moment."

"Onii-sama is not useless!" At that, her tone became upset once again, only to recede to a fainter one after realizing her error "But I understand… please, forgive me. I'll be taking my leave." Finishing the conversation, Miyuki respectfully bowed in a gracious and traditional manner.

"Yeah, show them. I'll be there when it's time."

"Yes." Bowing once again, the woman turned around and walked towards the building. When she finally disappeared from view, the man sighed out of relief for being able to calm her.

'What should I do now…?' Now that the problem had been taken care of, he could only think about what to do for the remaining pair of hours before the speech.

Completely forgetting the words bordering in dangerous territory he had said to his sister before.

**XxX**

Opting to simply walk around the school, the young man was passing around some buildings while looking right and left for a place to rest at.

After 5 minutes he finally caught with his eyes a bench big enough to support three persons. Sitting at it, he opened his mobile terminal and accessed an electronic book which interested him of lately.

The courtyard where he was located seemed to be a shortcut to the hall designated for the speech of his sister since some students were passing from there. Among them there were some girls wearing a female uniform, the difference with his being that they possessed the emblem of the institute, differently from him.

As they passed, they took a look at his shoulder and immediately started to gossip about it, poorly concealing their insulting words at him or perhaps not even trying to.

"Hey, isn't he a 'Weed'?"  
>"He sure is early…"<p>

"Even if in the end he is only a spare."

The conversation was one he desired to simply ignore, but sadly he couldn't do so and was forced to hear the venomous muttering.

Weed was a derogatory word used for Course 2 Students.

The ones who had an eight-petal flower on the left breast of their blazer were called 'Blooms' while the Course 2 Students were compared to weed with no flowers, therefore 'Weeds'.

The maximum number of students possible in the school for each year was 200, 600 in total, so they're divided in half between high-achievers and low-achievers.

The First High School, famous for producing the highest number of successful Magicians, was granted a budget by the government in exchange of definite, excellent results.

So the institute had to give the best equipment aimed to the growth of the Course 1 Students and the remaining budget was for acquiring competent teachers.

But in doing so, the low-achievers were ignored and could only rely on self-study to become better and had to improve on their own. They obtained access to facilities and data but lacked the most important thing in studies: a personal instruction by a professor.

Since the number of talented people in Magic was limited, it's inevitable that the better students received priority over the lacking ones.

Obviously, blatant discrimination was frowned upon and publicly forbidden, even punishable.

But that's it, publicly. No one could constantly monitor Course 1 Students so that they rightfully respected this rule, even Course 2 Students recognized themselves as inferior, strengthening even more this disparity.

Even so, the young man knew this since he had made the decision of enrolling in this school, thus no one had to remind it to him. He came fully aware of this division between students and simply accepted it despite how he found it distasteful.

He was about to return to his book when suddenly he heard a cry of pain not too far from him. It derived from the same direction of the rude girls who were openly mocking him.

Turning his head, he saw a rather ridiculous and to a certain extent amusing scene: each one of these girls was sprawled on the ground, their clothes and hairs slightly damaged. It was abundantly clear that they had fallen on the hard floor. Usually one would simply think of it as an accident while noticing the extremely bad luck of such a nasty fall, and then just forget everything after a few hours.

Observing them, instead of getting satisfaction from the rightful act of karma inflicted upon the girls, the young man felt nothing. He felt only a slight irritation when they had insulted him but not a strong feeling like anger, so he wasn't certainly jumping in joy at witnessing the scene.

Ignoring everything about that, his attention was more concentrated on something else entirely. The man was exclusively focusing on three threads connected to the brown boots of the slightly injured students. They were barely visible, despite the fact that light was reflecting on it and therefore, they stood out in the scenery. Normal eyes would never be able to catch sight of them.

Coincidentally, the one who was eyeing the threads was no ordinary person by any stretch and as such he could easily trace their direction and provenience.

His eyes led him to his own left and at the sight of a young man a little taller than him, of probably similar if not the same age. He had blonde, spiky hair and a vulpine look on his face due to his narrowed eyes and three faint lines drawn upon each cheek, giving him the appearance of a fox with whiskers. His clothing consisted of the same uniform of the young man observing him, but once again there was the subtle, yet noticeable difference between the two of them: the presence of an eight-petal flower sewn on the left side of his chest and shoulders which was lacking on the black-haired man clothing.

The man seated on the bench barely gave a glance to the symbol he himself missed, noticing that the blonde seemingly held something in his right hand, which was closed like a fist. Obviously the one responsible for the 'incident' regarding the female students who freely used the term 'Weed' was him.

"Eheh, that's going to teach them the meaning of the word 'karma'!" The whiskered student cackled while putting a hand inside his pocket, likely storing away the thread he had used. His head changed from staring ahead of him to look down at the seated black-haired man "Ah, sorry! I just couldn't stand those harpies gossiping about the stupid system of this school. They pissed me off, so I just had to do something to calm myself."

Hearing that, the 'Weed' was only slightly surprised. No, scratch that, he didn't expect this at all. He didn't expect a 'Bloom' to despise the system that divided the students into two categories, the elites and failures. No sign of lie or deceit could be felt from his voice and body language so he was probably telling the truth.

That was a rare occurrence, but right now that wasn't what he was concerned about.

There was something he noticed right away by observing the blonde standing near him. That was his way of holding himself, his stance: the blonde in front of him could appear relaxed and laid-back at first glance, however upon further inspection he was slightly tense, as if ready to jump away at the first notice of danger.

This alerted the emotion-less man. He didn't detect any hostile intent or anything else which could be classified as a threat, so it meant that was his natural posture.

Did he perhaps know his true identity and was ready to counterattack him in case he retaliated?

The most logical explanation was that the Course 1 Student had to be accustomed to combat, so the most likely scenario would be that his true identity was that of a soldier or simply someone used to fighting, but in the latter case he had no reason to be constantly tense.

So that left the option of a soldier. And why would a soldier enroll in a school which led to the majority of the student body admittance into the military line of work if he was already part of it? Was it an under-cover assignment perhaps?

The thoughts regarding him were quickly shifted to something else, a crucial matter to the black-haired student.

Was he hostile or non-hostile?

Would he pose a danger to his and Miyuki's ordinary life?

Even if his present identity was that of Miyuki's unimpressive normal brother, if any enemy presented itself, there would be only one answer…

"Hey, I don't see you being happy or anything else… you know, aren't you satisfied?" The blonde 'Bloom' asked him with a tilted head while opening his eyes, revealing a crystal blue color in his irises.

"I'm just a little annoyed. So I don't particularly care about it." True to his lack of emotions, he answered honestly after having finished his quick evaluation about the blue-eyed stranger. Since he didn't know whether or not he represented any danger, he would only keep his guard more intensely whenever around him. Causing a fuss and ruining his cover as a normal student would be a problem and a hindrance to his duty in protecting his sister.

"Mm…? You're sure a weird guy, anyone else would get pissed off about it." The 'Bloom' mused before holding out his hand in a friendly manner, clearly searching for a handshake "I'm Naruto, by the way."

It was a normal, friendly greeting, nothing else. Despite that, the black-haired man's careful personality won over this thought.

The other student lightly narrowed his eyes at the missed mentioning of a surname, after all a single name could hold an immense power and authority at the mere mentioning. However he decided to introduce himself anyway, keeping distance would be more of a problem than anything else and keeping him close was for the best. For these reasons he took the offered hand and both students made a strong handshake.

Even so, he couldn't rid himself of a strange feeling. Familiarity, nostalgia, what was it? As if he had already met this suspicious individual…

"A pleasure, I'm Shiba Tatsuya."

What ridiculous thoughts.

Nodding, they both released their grip and Naruto took a seat on the same bench where Tatsuya was seated.

An awkward silence was held for a few seconds. They barely knew each other apart from their names, and in Naruto's case Tatsuya didn't even have knowledge of his family's name.

Seeing that Tatsuya had no intention of starting anything himself, the blonde took action: "So… aren't you going to say anything about my name?"

At that, Tatsuya briefly wondered if he was asking about the fact that when he had introduced himself he didn't present his surname, but giving the question more thought he realized. Naruto was indeed an unusual, nay, a seriously strange name. After all, what parents in their right mind would name their son as a seafood condiment?

"Not at all, it's a strong name. Yours was intended to mean maelstrom, right?" He answered when noticing that the name could mean something else entirely. He must have asked since many probably had mistaken the blonde's name for the fishcake used in ramen. It must have been annoying since Tatsuya himself didn't know how he would have reacted at being called Shiba Pizza.

Quite clearly Naruto liked the response, narrowing his eyes in a fox manner while chuckling good-naturedly: "Eheh, you understand perfectly!"

If the Shiba felt any appreciation at being defined as 'good' in the blonde's standards, he certainly didn't show it as no emotion was displayed on his face even if he answered at the appraisal: "Thank you."

After that, neither said anything else, Tatsuya returned to reading on his mobile terminal while the whiskered student took out the thin, long thread he previously utilized to tie the female students from before and started to play with it, forming many complicated figures between his fingers.

Silence descended upon the courtyard.

**XxX**

After he had thanked the blonde, Tatsuya just began to read something on his terminal and completely ignored the man near him. Couldn't he at least start a conversation on his own? Tough he probably didn't even trust him, as when Naruto had talked to him he had immediately observed the blue-eyed student and likely made assumptions about him having military training, which he kind of had undergone, but surely not under the army. It certainly didn't help that he had showed more diffidence when he didn't say anything along his name, he had probably concluded that Naruto was some sort of spy.

Well, he only opted to keep his family name a secret for a little longer, or not mentioning it at all. That's obviously impossible, but holding onto a dim hope wasn't all that bad. It's rather uncomfortable for him to reveal that he an Uzumaki, people could start to usher him and ask curios question.

Although, he didn't think that Tatsuya would act like that judging by his personality, but 'better safe than sorry', that was the saying, right?

Anyway, he wasn't surprised that Tatsuya managed to see through him, it would be disappointing if he couldn't at least do this since any disciple of that Ero-Monk possessed above average skill when compared to the ordinary Shinobi in the Clan. He really wanted to see how well he could fight. Naruto had seen the monks shaking in fear when whispering to each other how they got their asses kicked every time Tatsuya went to the temple and engaged in fights with all of them. Even Ero-Monk had started to say how 'in pure Taijutsu he can't compete with him', though Naruto couldn't understand if he had said it jokingly or seriously.

Probably he could beat the blonde by a small margin, after all he was not like Bushy-Brows, the self-proclaimed 'Green Beast' who was literally a monster in Taijutsu. There's a high chance that Tatsuya had more skills than Naruto, but he was still confident in the fact that his physical prowess outclassed Tatsuya's.

Tatsuya was probably only better in pure ability. Many factors needed to be considered in a battle, it wasn't like a card game where you held a stand-off about who had more attack power or defense power.

Who knows, a steel bar could suddenly hit your head from a random position, or you could lose you footing. For some unknown reason, dust could have a chance to enter in your eyes…

It was still an hour before the entrance ceremony and since the emotionless 'Weed' just wanted to be an anti-social, Naruto took out the wire string he used to pull a karmic punishment on the arrogant girls who were agreeing with the achievement system.

Come on, how could the school accepts a system in which you created a complete disparity between the ones who excelled and those who got inferior results? Sure, Magic had become the leading factor for prestige in society and even a slight difference could be accepted in favor of the better, but whoever had came up with the idea of such a vast rift among students was an asshole.

These opinions passing through his mind, Naruto started to create some complicated cat's cradles Haku, his 'bodyguard', had taught him in the last three years. As mentioned, it really helped to pass the time and calm oneself.

The guardian had really instructed him in lot of useful things like sewing and cooking, even if he didn't have any particular use with them since Haku always insisted in doing all of the chores being my servant, guardian and all, when being the one to say the blonde had to take care of himself. It's really flattering having someone so cute and pure taking care of him and being over-protective when he was the one involved in an accident.

Putting aside that, Naruto was happy that he had finally gotten away from the island where the Clan resided, not being able to travel somewhere else was really tiring. Who wanted to be stuck in the middle of the ocean for the remainder of his life? Not him, for sure, despite the fact that the life there was luxury.

Though, it felt lonely since he was the only one who could get out of there while most had to refrain themselves from coming. He would have really appreciated being together with everyone, but the leaders had judged that having too many of them in the outside would reveal excessive information about their own brand of Magic.

While everyone was secretive about their style of Magic, for the Uzumaki's Clan it was another whole matter. Since its relationship with most of the 10 Master Clans was already bad enough, it didn't want them trying anything to get any more data about their spells.

Naruto's only worry was about how he would socialize with my classmates, the problems of an ordinary high school boy. If they were not total pricks like the female students before, then he had no problem in staying in the same room for all duration of school.

Having finished his internal thoughts, the blonde quickly took a look at Tatsuya's terminal, more specifically the digital clock displayed on it. There were another thirty minutes before the ceremony, but it would be the best to go in early instead of risking a late arrival.

"Tatsuya, do you want to go now?" The Shinobi asked him, but it seemed that he was already readying himself to leave.

Having closed his terminal, he stood up and didn't exactly deign Naruto with even a short response, resorting to a simple nod in his direction. Wow, this guy really didn't like to talk. Yakumo-sensei had mentioned it, but…

He nodded in response, already accustomed to his personality. The blonde stood up himself to stretch his own body, seating on a bench for more than an hour was hardly comfortable.

"Are you two new students? It's almost time for the ceremony."

When he finished stretching, an enchanting voice reached his ears.

The Uzumaki glanced down to see a real beauty with long black hair and red eyes. She was quite small compared to Naruto and Tatsuya, maybe around twenty centimeters shorter. Even so this didn't hinder her looks at all, her body well-proportioned and her boobs-err, assets were pretty big. Like the Shinobi, she was wearing a Course 1 uniform, hers different since she clearly belonged to the female gender.

She was smiling to either him, Tatsuya or both of them. It was rendering him a little irritated as I couldn't get deduce so basic. At least her smile didn't appear to being forced like that of Sai, his' could be considered a grin since he always insulted someone while having a happy face. How an irritating bastard like him had entered in the ANBU was a mystery.

"Yeah, we were just going. Thank you anyway." Naruto expressed his thanks, which were honestly meant. The flower on her left breast signified her status as a 'Bloom' and while it's common sense helping people, not many of the Course 1 students actually cared at all about a 'Weed' like Tatsuya and would usually leave him to fend for himself , so Naruto felt she was an 'exception' in the ignorant mass.

The girl glanced at Naruto with a complicated expression, before turning around and smiling good-naturedly at Tatsuya.

"Oh, I'm impressed. Is that a screen type?" Mayumi completely and utterly ignored Naruto's presence to narrow her concentration at the device Tatsuya was holding in his hand.

He was just slightly irritated at being ignored. Yes, this Uzumaki was completely calm, like the calm surface of a pristine lake. He would just attempt to render her life harder and that was it.

Naruto heard the unknown girl who had just ignored him, and Tatsuya starting a conversation without giving him the grace of her attention, as if they were in their exclusive reality and he was not allowed to access it.

Once again.

...mm, it's totally okay. He had to hold up his stress at the situation, Naruto. Or he would just act childish and throw a tantrum while making a fool of himself. Having negative emotions was bad, something not good would happen if he continued like this.

Hearing just a few words from them, the blonde understood that it was not the type of discussion he would actually be interested in. Maybe it's a good thing that they excluded him. Even so, he wasn't on agreement about being kept out. Rather, there wasn't a single person who liked getting constantly ignored.

Waiting for the two to finish their dialogue, Naruto resorted to take a more appropriate look at the 'Bloom' in front of his blue eyes, watching with great attention but also discretion since he didn't look forward at possibly obtaining the label of 'pervert who went after girls on the first day of school'.

On her wrist, something caught his interest: a plain silver bracelet accompanied by a few lines along the borders which gave it a sensation of 'techno'. It seemed unnecessarily big as an accessory, especially since it didn't particularly fit with her thin wrist. It's even concealed under the uniform so something more visible like an earring would be better.

But the bracelet wasn't intended to embellish even more the captivating look of this girl.

The real use of this at first glance harmless accessory was the creation of miracles for Modern Magicians, the actualization of Magic.

Casting Activation Device ,or CAD since it's an hassle to repeat each time such a long term, was the indispensable device needed for casting magic by absorbing Psions, which were substance-less particles and information elements. The CAD, shaped in many forms like guns, rifle, accessories, in other words everything practicable and suitable to one's style, absorbed Psions from user's body. These were then used to start the Activation Sequence, a step in which the desired spell was constructed. Once it finished, the sequence was turned into electric signals travelling to the Magic Calculation Area, a part of the brain where Magicians calculated the strength, targets and ending requirement of their spells. From this area of the brain they also controlled the Psions, sending them back to the CAD to modify the Eidos, which was basically a phenomenon having left its footprint in the world. In the end the Magician altered the Eidos according to the Activation Sequence and changed reality until the ending requirements like 'hitting a solid matter' or 'bringing me to this place' were met.

This was how Modern Magic worked.

But it's a different matter when concerning Ancient Magic, the one Naruto and his Clan practiced.

Ancient Magic was deducible right by its own name. Old magic both in origins and casting methods, the spells possessed the advantages of higher firepower and specialization, though the problem was something crucial in battle.

The time needed to prepare the Magic. It's generally if not always inferior in casting time, even of only one second, which usually didn't appear as important, but it could make the difference between life and death during a fight.

His Clan, the Uzumaki, along with the other families they assimilated, was a user of Ancient Magic and therefore from the many ways to use this style casted Magic through hand seals and short chants. The other options were usually talismans, books and staffs but those were more in use by the other Ancient Magic families.

They were Shinobi after all.

…mmm, Naruto felt that he had gone ranting for a long time. He should tell Tatsuya to go otherwise they would most likely going to be late, on the first day of school nonetheless.

"Ah, I beg your pardon. I'm the Student Council President of First High School, Saegusa Mayumi. Written as 'seven grass', read as Saegusa." Suddenly and out of the blue, the blonde heard her introducing her name to Tatsuy-wait, did she just ignore him again?!

Naruto turned his head to get a grasp of the current situation and indeed, this Saegusa Mayumi was completely cutting him out by only facing the Shiba while he was, at least within his capabilities of an emotionless character, shocked. Hints to his state of mind were his widened eyes and slightly gaping mouth.

Punctuating slightly, since the Shinobi had yet to see any strong emotion on Tatsuya's eternal poker face. Not that he expected him to.

On the previous topic, Naruto was getting slightly depressed due to the humiliating treatment the President of this shitty school was giving him. Was he that much unpleasant to the point in which people ignored his existence? He guesses that an unpleasant school equaled to an unpleasant leader and unpleasant President.

Maybe she hates the blonde since she was a Saegusa while he belonged to the Uzumaki? Between his Clan and the Ten Families with affiliation to the Number Family System there had always been bad blood since the beginning. And she was even from the Saegusa Clan, the one leading every other ones.

Basically, they're the Devil King from the perspective of Naruto's family.

Still, that's the point of view of the Clan's leaders, the 'Bloom' couldn't care less about this stuff. Seriously, the only motive he knew of was that they wanted to tear each other guts because they couldn0t be 'trusted'.

"Out of a hundred points, your average score in all seven subject of the entrance exam is ninety-six."

And here he heard another slice from the conversation between Tatsuya and Saegusa Mayumi, about which he understood absolutely nothing due to his constant entering and exiting from his own mind.

He was missing some pieces of information, but even then he could get that they were talking about the entrance test score. So from the statement of Mayumi, Tatsuya was a super genius capable of obtaining an average score just six points from the full score.

Naruto was impressed. Then, apart from being gifted in the body, Tatsuya also had a brilliant mind to accompany his martial arts. The blonde himself didn't get a particularly high score, just around seventy points, which was already a miracle for this Uzumaki here. He was never good at theory and would never be, although information related to battle was pretty easy to remember.

Wait, he should stop shifting from an argument to the other. How did he come from being ignored by a girl to the score in an entrance test?!

"It's about time, please excuse me."

Hearing that, Naruto witnessed Tatsuya passing right by the President, an uneasy face substituting the one he always wore. Was he annoyed by something she said?

At the same time, Mayumi was…smiling? Wait, why the hell was she flashing a smile while Tatsuya gave off the impression of someone wanting to escape from this particular location?

"Hey Tats…!" He tried to call after him for an explanation, but he paid the blonde no heed as he instead increased his pace, quickly leaving the scene and disappearing.

Did he just ignore him similarly to Saegusa Mayumi?!

What was it with everyone ignoring him today?!

"And you are…" Naruto's ears picked up a voice starting to speak, which was obviously the petite girl near him as she was the only one present other than him. It seems only now she wanted to grace him with her attention.

Needless to say, Naruto didn't even try to forgive her or strike a conversation with her.

Unlike Tatsuya, he quickly walked away from her without even saying anything, trying to give her a taste of her medicine. It was only justice, right? He was firm believer of karma, after all.

**XxX**

By the time Naruto entered in the auditorium where the ceremony was going to be held, almost every seat was already taken.

Walking around trying to locate Tatsuya, the bastard who had betrayed him by abandoning him with the President, he noticed something quite obvious. No…rather you took notice of it even without putting any concentration in it.

In the front row there were seated many students, of all years and genders since some appeared older while others were nervous as it was the first day. They were all different, but a common characteristic was confirmed in the emblem on the left breast and the smug look of superiority present in their eyes whenever a student without a flower passed in front of them.

On the other hand, in the back row were placed the ones without emblem, the guys considered mere 'spares' for the 'elites'.

In other words, Blooms and Weeds unconsciously marked a line between the seats they had taken since there was no obligation of taking any particular chair. They cleanly divided themselves even though nothing was enforced about the position of seats.

'Is it so bad already?' Naruto pondered while glancing at the two areas. The matter really irked to him, he couldn't believe that the Course 2 students didn't even fight back to the demeaning insult and mistreatment the Course 1 students inflicted on them. The worst thing was that they completely accepted it, as if something you couldn't change. Did they seriously enroll in the school while resigning themselves to the system?

Naruto felt rage boil inside him. What was that fucked up way of thinking?! His hand twitched and his entire body tensed, he could feel anger inside him coursing through his veins at the mere thought of that.

_KILL._

...yes, he should just kill everyone, that way everything would be resolved right? He should wreck the entire place, ends the life of every single person inside the auditorium, tear their bodies apart, prolonging their suffering and…!

Suddenly, the blonde moved his head to the side violently, eliciting a few strange looks from the other students.

'Damn, what the hell was I thinking?! I have lost control again?'

He knew the reason for which his emotions had grown unstable in that particular moment. How could he have had thoughts about killing everyone? It just showed how he didn't like this system. In the end he calmed down, although the issue about the division of the students still bothered him.

Still grumbling, Naruto wasn't able to locate Tatsuya so he decided to seat on the Bloom side of the hall as much as it annoyed him. Wondering who was so fortunate for having the luck to be near him, he whirled his head around to see two girls on his left side.

The one nearest to him was a girl even shorter in stature than Saegusa Mayumi, the President he met earlier, so it was another way to describe her as really short, even by normal standards. Her face and eyes gave the feeling of a perennial deadpanned expression and overall she had a completely blank expression. Seeing that, Naruto wondered what the hell was happening today. First poker face Shiba Tatsuya, and now blank expression whatever her name was! Are you serious?!

The polar opposite sat to the left of the emotionless girl with grey hair, a student who was pretty vocal about her feelings judging by the variety of emotions appearing on her face while conversing with the other one. Similar to the grey-haired student, she too possessed a rather short height, but added to that was a factor of cuteness which made Naruto wants to pet her. Her hair was of a light brown and styled in two small pigtails.

Obviously both of them were Blooms since they had a seat on the Course 1 side and an emblem on their uniform.

Still, that didn't stop Naruto from deciding to introduce his name. Even if all the Blooms he had met till now were assholes that didn't mean all of them were similar. Furthermore, there was no way such cute girls could have an elitist way of thinking, he thought with a not really convincing mindset.

Just as he was raising his hand to catch their attention, the pigtailed girl happened to turn her head in his direction while talking to the grey-haired one, and her eyes widened at the sight of a blonde haired student with whiskers on his cheeks, Naruto.

The cute female student looked at Naruto for a while, as if trying to remember something or someone, then gasped as she likely finally recalled: "Ah, you are…!"

"Do you know him, Honoka?" The other small girl interjected with a question aimed at her probably close friend given that she called her using the first name without honorifics. Naruto didn't look too surprised at hearing that even her voice was as deadpanned as her visage.

"Y-yes. Do you remember, Shizuku? When I told you about a girl and a boy with outstanding scores in practical Magic, totally outclassing the others?"

The girl named Shizuku remained still for some time while looking at Honoka. Honestly, Naruto was starting to get disturbed at her attitude, but simply accepted it in the end.

In his clan there were a lot of stranger individuals.

Much to the relief of the whiskered student, Shizuku stopped her statue-like behavior: "...ah, yes I remember." She paused as if trying to organize the thoughts in her head "The blonde guy with a dumb face." For then assigning him a demeaning name which depressingly fit.

'You're on my black list!' Naruto exclaimed mentally while staring with a deadly glint in his eyes at the girl who just rudely insulted him. Was it so common for girls from the outside to be so ill-mannered?! The truth was that he was beginning to lose self-confidence in himself. The girls around here were treating him in such a cruel way…

"S-Shizuku! I didn't say anything like that!" But he found salvation in a goddess in human form. Honoka reprimanded shyly her friend who didn't reveal any sign of regret. After that, her head snapped in the direction of the only male present among them. Her eyes assumed a sheepish look and she looked down: "I-I'm sorry for Shizuku's attitude… she can be rude at times, but isn't a bad person!"

'Cute, she is so cute!' Naruto thought when he observed the way she was apologizing, even if she didn't have to. At first she was hesitant in talking, but when trying to defend her friend her voice adopted a stronger tone 'It seems she really care about her' He could definitely respect that.

Despite how much it annoyed him, he didn't get too offended when that grey-haired girl insulted him…well, not to the level of being 'pissed off so much that destroying a few buildings will calm me'…a lot of people in the Clan like Shikamaru and Sakura always called him a dense idiot and despite that they ended up as friends. Although he didn't know what they meant by 'dense', he wasn't thick-headed! One of his abilities was to grasp human's emotions better than most, for sake.

Naruto looked at Honoka who was still bowing her head, effectively looking like a kicked puppy. Now he really felt like the bad guy here: "Ah, don't think too much about it, it's okay." So he tried to put her at ease while sporting the best smile he could.

Unknown to the blonde, the pigtailed girl slightly blushed when he smiled at her. Not for his appearance, it wasn't as if he had the looks of a model or anything outrageously beautiful. Rather his kind and caring attitude made her happy since not few mocked and thought of her as irritating for being too clumsy and hesitant instead of simply accepting her for who she was. Even when they first met…

**XxX**

"_Uwah!"_

_In the long hallway, a girlish scream echoed and as such all of the people inside it were able to hear the voice of a young girl with light brown hair styled into small pigtails, wearing a black sailor uniform belonging to a middle school._

_Even though she had fallen, hitting the ground with her face, no one was helping her and the few who passed just looked at her a moment before ignoring the scene while glancing somewhere else, pretending they weren't seeing anything._

_It was common sense to aid someone in need and although no one bothered to do it, the pigtailed girl didn't bristle or look irritated. Now in Japan, or perhaps the whole world after World War III, the ones who couldn't look after themselves were simply ignored and the talented on the other hand received prestige. _

_It was also the way of thinking and the system of the highschool she was aiming to enroll into._

_They had no business with a clumsy student without the capacity of picking herself up, was the collective thought passing in everyone's mind._

_She herself had no desire to protest. She felt it was her own fault so she had to deal with it. Even so, she prided herself for her ability in Magic, therefore everything else didn't worry her that much._

_All of this led her to the conclusion that since she was completely capable of getting up by herself no one would feel compelled to assist her._

"_Oi, are you all right?"_

_She was wrong._

_Just when she lifted her face, a hand appeared above her, offered with the palm open so to welcome another hand in its grasp. Honoka, the name of the girl, looked up in surprise, before gaping in astonishment. Someone actually bothered to help her. Trying to help her, a clumsy and timid girl who often stuttered when she talking._

_When was it? The last time someone did such a thing beside Shizuku?_

_The very possibility was improbable to Honoka, but here stood a blonde boy with spiky, bright blonde hair and blue eyes. His clothing consisted of a white shirt under a black sweatshirt with an orange hoodie shadowing his face. Below his waist he had a pair of blue jeans and black-orange shoes. But the most striking features were the three whiskers he had on each cheek, giving him the appearance of a cat or fox._

_Unsurprisingly, his roguish appearance made him the target of many rude stares, and in response to them he shot around glares containing so much intensity that everyone was quickly led to avoid him._

_Honoka wondered why this blonde man was troubling himself to aid her, ruining even himself in the presence of the crowd. She could have easily picked herself up so…_

"_Are you going to take my hand or what?"_

_She was jolted out of her dreamy state from the voice obviously belonging to the whiskered man. Whatever his motive was, there was no reason to refuse an offer of kindness so she took the hand in front of her and used it as support to be brought back to her feet. While her hand was grasped within the blonde's own, Honoka noted how it was much bigger than hers and also…_

'_It's a little coarse, yet so warm…'_

"_I…! T-Thank you very much!" Honoka blurted out suddenly, shouting and raising her voice a little too loudly, surprising the blue-eyed boy who took a step back for the sudden gratitude._

"_Ah...don't worry. Say, could you show me where I have to take the practical exam for First High School?" The blonde asked after recovering from the surprise of Honoka shouting out of the blue "I'm…kind of lost…" while looking a little embarrassed at admitting he couldn't orientate himself inside the building. He didn't appear to be used to this sort of place, so that explained the reason for it._

"_Ah! Y-yes! I have to take it too, so you can follow me!" She wanted to reduce the sound of her voice, but it still wasn't enough as her helper's eyebrow twitched a little when hearing her. Nonetheless, he didn't seem too troubled by it and just nodded in response._

_They stood in the hallway for a while. Honoka didn't move as he observed her, as if waiting for something to happen, and after seeing her questioning and confused look he sighed: "By the way…" before pointing a finger at the space between them "you can let go of my hand."_

…_she didn't know what he meant, no rather she tried to pretend she heard nothing, but eventually one needed to face reality. So slowly she lowered her eyes to where he indicated with his finger and saw her hand was still grasped within the blonde's. What more, her grip was as if she didn't desire to let go of it, wanting to bask in how warm his hand felt._

_Honoka immediately blushed, her face heating up until the point of resembling a tomato. She remained there gaping for a few, impossibly long seconds before retracting her hand at blinding speed: "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!"_

_The blue-eyed boy stared at her weirdly with a raised eyebrow, wondering what she was apologizing for. He also turned around his hand, trying to identify if there was something in his hand that elicited such an extreme reaction: "Em…as I said, don't worry about it." He reassured the girl once more as she constantly bowed to him. and this made him the target of may stares and glares. From an outside point of view, it seemed more like a bullying scene with the large difference in eight between them._

"_Listen…just lead me to the place okay?" He reassured her, trying to end her apologies, for the sake of his reputation at least._

"_Yes, please follow me!" Once again, Honoka said it with too much enthusiasm, but the boy was already used to it so he simply sighed, relieved that she calmed down, and followed her._

_While they were walking in the hallway, Honoka peeked behind her to observe the blue-eyed man who asked her for help. It was confusing her how much he was looking around, his eyes shining with curiosity when gazing upon the smallest thing like a room in which was displayed a new kind of high-end terminal. It was as if he had lived under a rock or in an island for most of his life._

_Obviously that was a ridiculous thought, mused Honoka._

_After a short walk, they finally arrived to the room intended for the practical exam to access into First High School. Near the room there were students already enrolled in the school watching the possible freshmen of this year and how well their performance would be. The majority of persons taking the exam were clothed in their middle school uniforms, some attending in a corner of the room, tapping the ground with anxiety or checking their CAD for anything wrong. _

_Understandable since you had only a single chance at this and whatever score you obtained you were stuck with it, establishing your rank in the school. It was the same mentality of before: if you weren't even able to calm yourself, there was no way you could become a decent Magician even with the strongest Magic Power in the world._

_To start the exam, one professor would come to you, asks for your name, search for it in a tablet and then explain the simple exam: using a Systematic Movement Magic to move a block of 100 kilograms steel from the starting point to the end of the rail it was positioned on. It sounded pretty simple, yet this was merely the first part of the eight practical exams which tested one's basic ability at using the basic spells. It wasn't that unusual a situation in which many were too nervous to do their best and so ended with a low score despite their actual skill. Hence the tense atmosphere present in the room._

_By the way, Honoka was actually the most nervous person in the room._

_She was confident in her own skills, but incidents always happened so she thought to herself that her nervousness and shaky legs were pretty much justified._

'_T-that's right! My CAD, I have to check for any irregularity!' As a way to make sure of doing well the test, she walked to one of the machinery in the room and waited in the line composed of students like her who were unsure of their devices._

_Even if she found a problem, she still wouldn't be able to fine tune her CAD alone. Despite the truth of the matter, Honoka was most likely attempting to drown her nervousness by occupying herself with something._

_In her anxiety she forgot about a certain blonde who had been following her. His eyes were scanning the room with interest before tapping the back of the girl who helped him: "Thanks for the help."_

"_Ah, that's no probl-" She stopped and stared with wide eyes when he didn't have any sign of unrest on him and went straight to one of the terminals used exclusively for the exam. _

_Honoka was a little envious of his confidence in himself, yet couldn't help but be a little worried in the fact that he didn't even control his CAD. Was he really that skilled to not worry about such a simple test or was that only cockiness?_

_Thinking about it, she didn't confirm any device on his body. Was he perhaps hiding it in his pockets, a Mobile-Terminal Shaped one?_

_Naruto walked leisurely to the computer while a professor with a small tablet saw him and so did his job by walking up to the blonde and asking the name of the whiskered man, waiting to check for it: "Surname and name, please."_

"_Uzumaki Naruto." _

_Nonchalantly and without a care he presented himself, shocking both the professor near him, who almost dropped his tablet, and the ones waiting in line to take the exam near enough to hear his words. Even Honoka, having caught up to him after finishing her controls, stood on her spot gaping when she heard that. She simply wanted to suggest at him a CAD control just to be sure, and instead a shocking revelation was given to her._

_It wasn't surprising. The Uzumaki Clan, although not occupying a position within the Number Family System, possessed equal prestige for their undisputable role as one of the strongest Magic Families due their variety of different types of spells, astonishing and confirming that the members were indeed the leading authority regarding Ancient Magic. _

_Even so, the occupants in the exam room weren't shocked merely for this, but for another reason._

_The Uzumaki were rumored to despise the users of Modern Magic, so it was trange that one happened to come here and take the exam for First High. Particularly, they didn't get along with the Ten Master Clans, especially with the Ninth, the Kudou Clan, as the objective of the 9__th__ Research Institute had been to develop Modern Magicians with spells enhanced by Ancient Magic. Many Ancient Magic users had ended up helping the Kudou to improve their own style, but the true purpose of the Institute had been in truth the creation of stronger Modern Magic by using pieces of Ancient Magic._

_The Uzumaki had been one of the few among the Ancient Magic families to not assist in any way the Kudou, so the majority of their spells was still a mystery, but that didn't mean they had been happy at the treachery. The Uzumaki had considered, and still did, that cruel act as a way of saying that Ancient Magic was only a mean to improve Modern Magic. Therefore as Magicians who were quite confident in their style that had been a low blow to their pride. _

_The Kudou in turn had been largely dissatisfied with the results since the family they had aimed to agree collaborating with the most had been the Uzumaki Clan._

_It was rare catching a glimpse of the Magic of the Uzumaki since they were as mysterious and secluded as the Yotsuba Clan, and that was saying something. Even if someone would happen to witness it, their main spells were hard to understand and comprehend due to their nature._

"_Hey, can you continue?" _

_An annoyed voice broke the tension hanging in the room. Seeing the annoyed expression of the Uzumaki, the examiner hastily controlled if he was the real deal before his doubts were shattered as the picture of the same blonde appeared under the name 'Uzumaki Naruto'._

"_Oh, and don't try anything funny such as using a Kirlian Filter to spy on my spell, got it?"_

_Usually, this sort of pretentious order would be rebounded with cold stares, but they were unexplainably nervous and fearful to disobey his waning. Following it, not few persons began to put on the ground their own cameras._

"_E-em...this part of the practical exam consists in using a Basic Single System Movement-type Magic to bring this block of 100 kilograms from the starting point to the goal. A-any question?" The teacher in charge of controlling the ones taking this test managed to bring himself out of his stupor and proceeded with his explanation. Even the other students started to quiet down, tough some were still staring in astonishment due to having just arrived to the room._

_Without answering, Naruto glanced down at the terminal designed for the exam and put a hand on it. As if triggering something, red and blue particles of light came out from around his figure, meaning the employment of Psion and thus his willingness in beginning the test._

_Without wasting any time, the blonde brought his right hand in front of him, shaping it like a fist with the exception of his index and middle finger standing straight, strongly resembling the hand seal used by the ninjas mentioned in story books._

_Instead of the usual, variable magic circle of Modern Magic, a circle composed of strange kanji was drawn out. Even so, t still acted its role and deployed the spell on the 100 kilograms block of steel. _

_In a blinding flash of silver the block of steel immediately accelerated, leaving behind only a streak of its image while gaining maximum speed in an instant and hitting the ending point of the trail, finishing the practical exam._

_In a single second. No, surely less than that. It had taken him even less than half a second to actualize his spell from the moment all Magicians in the room had witnessed his Psions changing the Eidos and creating the spell. Being capable of at least casting a simple spell in less than a second was the taciturn prerequisite of being in the Course 1, having the skill to do it under the barrier of 0.600 seconds guaranteed a place among the elites of the elites._

_Everyone, Honoka included, stood looking either at him or at the counter indicating how fast the casting speed of the ones taking the exam was, ranked in places with the name and score._

_A few shocked gasps reached her ears, so the pig-tailed girl slowly raised her head and saw his score at the top of the counter._

'_First place, 0.294 seconds!'_

_A substantial difference from 1st and 2nd place was made, understandably unleashing a wave of murmurs, whispers and shouts of astonishment. Other than the fact that his casting speed had totally outclassed everyone else, he had even done it by utilizing Ancient Magic, which was a powerful but definitely slower brand of Magic._

_And yet…_

_Honoka could honestly say that her eyes hadn't even able to keep up with the hand he used to make a hand seal, that movement including only physical ability had been so quick even without any spell backing it up._

_The blonde, with a sigh retracted his hand back and just headed out of the room with an irritated look. The stares he was receiving were genuinely angering him, he felt like an animal at a zoo. Couldn't they at least be a little more subtle?_

_At the same time, when he was certain that the door was closed and he was at sufficient distance from the room so that no one had their eyes pointed on his face, Naruto let out a relieved sigh. During the exam he had kept up the façade of being so confident in his own abilities to the point that he had harbored no worry, but the truth was that he had been nervous too. _

_Ancient Magic was slow. That was an undeniable truth. After all Magicians aided by the CAD were obviously quicker in making the calculations needed for a spell, while his kind's style required chanting, talismans or hand seals in his case. Even with the famed casting speed the members of the Uzumaki were so popular about, he didn't know how that could have helped him when comparing it to the calculations of a machine. _

_In the end it seemed his was a rather useless worry. A simple Systematic Movement Magic, he didn't need even half a second for it and if they asked him to use a more complicated Magic, he had enough confidence to believe that he had the skill to do it under 0.450 seconds. _

'_It's finally over…' While this passed through his mind, he gave no mind to his steps or where he was going, so bumping into a person was only to be expected._

_Naruto glanced down and saw a black-haired beauty wearing a middle school uniform on the ground, her face scrunched in pain or perhaps irritation due to the fall caused by the absent-minded blonde._

"_Ah! I'm sorry!" The whiskered man held a regretful tone in his voice as it was entirely his fault that she had fallen, and for the second time in the day offered his hand to a pretty girl to help her up._

"…_it's no problem."_

_After aiding her and controlling if she had any injury, he put his hands in his pockets and walked away, unaware that someone would do a better performance than him and steal his first place._

**XxX**

"...so that's where I met you." Naruto didn't exactly forget the day of the exam. He had been in a sour mood due to being sleepy, Yakumo-sensei having had the great idea of holding a welcome party for his arrival on the outside and make it last till early morning. Then he went to the exam building and met her, the girl called Honoka.

'She is a little like Hinata…" Her shy personality and the way she sometimes stammered in her words greatly resembled the white-eyed candidate heir of the Hyuuga Clan, one of the families brought into the Uzumaki. This similarity between them made him a little happy, that way it would be less awkward for him in case he wanted to become friend with her.

"Forgive me, that day I was really out of form." Naruto grinned while sheepishly scratching his head at what he considered an embarrassing situation. He couldn't help but feel as if he had treated her rudely and acted surly when he had first bumped into her "I didn't even introduce myself properly that time, so…" Stretching his hand out he said cheerfully "Uzumaki Naruto, nice to meet you!"

Honoka watched him with what could be described as admiration shining in her eyes, so when he happily offered a handshake she immediately grabbed it with her two hands and tightly grasped his hand.

"Mitsui Honoka, t-the pleasure is mine!"

Once again, Honoka acted with too much enthusiasm, but this time it didn't annoy the blonde in any way at all, and instead he found it encouraging that she seemed to be so leaning towards befriending him.

Partially ignored, or completely in Honoka's case, was the grey-haired girl who had a seat right between them. Her eyes observed the scene in front of her before they met the blonde's. With a nod she introduced herself as well: "Kitayama Shizuku, blondie."

Naruto twitched a little at the nickname, wanting to say something about how it was rude to call people like that in their first meeting…well, if she wanted to, she could call him whatever: "Yeah, nice to meet you, midget!" but that didn't mean he wouldn't do it too.

If Shizuku was bothered by the name he gave her she certainly didn't show it, hell she showed almost nothing on that poker face. But she probably sensed that he meant no disrespect with that as she grew a small, yet awkward smile for then having it to disappear.

"Silence!"

The moment was broken by a loud voice which the blonde immediately found irritating. And for a good reason according to him as the speaker was an old man with a stern expression, wearing traditional Japanese clothes. Seeing him standing on the podium, Naruto already knew who he was.

'The idiot principal of this school, so the one who wholly agreed for this system…' He obviously already despised him for drawing a line between students to divide them into 'elites' and 'failures'. They were all human beings, they all had feelings and did their best. And yet…!

Naruto was often called an idiot because he acted like an idiot, but that didn't mean he was stupid. He understood that to produce competent Magicians for Japan, a small country that relied more on quality than quantity, an astronomical amount of money was needed so it couldn't be helped that some were less educated. But not giving the Course 2 Students an emblem, as if they didn't belong to the school was just discrimination in the blonde's point of view.

Kakashi-sensei had told him that more than a century ago, a man believed that his own people were superior to an ethnic group named Jews and that the world was a place where the strongest reigned and the weak served. And so, to mark them he gave a hexagram shaped star to each of them for identification.

Even if instead of giving them something the director of the school took it back, the situation was practically the same.

"Right now, the affiliate of Magic University, First High School's entrance ceremony shall begin!"

Naruto hated it. He hated the system, that man who he viewed just as bad as that dictator of a century ago! All of this was downright absurd and…

KILL.

...would end if he just killed that old bastard, pull violently that mustache of his, shred every hair on his head, have him humiliated as much as possible!

"And next, reply address from the representative of the freshmen…"

Kill him, kill those fucking teachers sitting so leisurely there knowing how stupid all of this is, even their families! Even the students for accepting all of this without retorting, make them cry, beg on their feet for forgiveness, grant them a light of hope and then snatch it away! And then…

"…Shiba Miyuki!"

A black haired girl with innate beauty and regal aura appeared on the podium. The way she held herself, her posture, her expression completely captured stares and attention from every person in the auditorium, Naruto included.

'Shiba Mi…Yuki?' The blonde mused curiously at the surname, forgetting his previous fit of anger, staring intensively at the beautiful girl while holding curiosity in his mind, completely different when compared to the worshipping look Honoka previously gave to him and now to her.

His gaze wasn't enamored like the ones directed at her from all other directions. His was more like calculating and held a hint of…nostalgia in it?

'She isn't _her, _but their names and appearance are similar…'

This thoughts swimming in his mind, Naruto shook his head to disperse it when he realized. _She_ was dead, he had buried her personally so it wasn't as if she had survived and was in that podium. That girl was another person.

Let's see… Shiba was the surname of Tatsuya, and if this girl had the same one… wait no, it could be written in different kanji. But even so, what was the chance of such a thing happening?

...wait, didn't he see that girl somewhere else?

"Today, I thank you for your words of welcome! As the representative of the freshmen, I feel pride to be a student in First High School! We shall all study together, everyone alike! And not only limited to Magic, we will grow as a single body, work together in all areas within the boundaries of this institute, irrespective of Magic!"

'Bold! Too bold! At least build some tension! What the heck is she thinking?!' While Naruto certainly agreed to every single word she said, except the part about feeling pride for being a student here, he didn't know if he had to praise or reprimand Shiba Miyuki in recklessly announcing to those students, who believed in the division among them according to someone's skill, something dangerous such as 'everyone alike'. She could be immediately hated, isolated from everyone else to such a degree that…!

"A goddess…"

"Shiba Miyuki uh…"

"She's perfect, a Yamato Nadeshiko…"

…it seemed he didn't need to worry about that. The whole student body was so entrapped by her beauty and mannerisms that it couldn't even think coherently and, as if sniffing the fragrant perfume name Shiba Miyuki, everyone remained in their seats with a considerably stupid look on their faces.

"Thank you."

She finished her rather short presentation, but it certainly had an impact on every person in the auditorium, even Naruto couldn't help but admire and praise her for that extremely short, yet well done speech. It even contained suggestive words that formed the sentence 'We shall all / work together / irrespective of Magic'. That much could be picked up, he had often listened in his missions of businessmen using the same trick before.

In other words, Shiba Miyuki found the system disgusting too and therefore she had tried to send a hidden message to affect every person unconsciously in order to eradicate the discrimination, even slightly, lurking in the institute.

It didn't work.

Instead of being taken aback from the brave words she announced, they just got enamored and felt attraction at her delicate features and charisma. The targets of her hidden message, the Course 1 Students, probably didn't even think too much about what she meant with her speech.

Naruto wasn't thinking all of this because he had contempt and displeasure towards the Course 1 in general, usually he didn't judge someone before understanding them properly.

No, he could _feel_ it. It was literally like a _sixth sense_ for him. The majority of students in the auditorium were feeling only admiration for the representative of the freshmen, a few were even shifting into love at first sight and lust.

'I guess people aren't so easy to persuade…' After all, it would be borderline ridiculous if she could just change a mentality that built itself for years with a few suggestive words '…after all, we aren't in a manga or light novel.'

A round of applause exploded in the building while Miyuki bowed a single time in response. Naruto could definitely hear a few guys and even girls screaming 'Miyuki-sama!' or 'Marry me!' to the point that the situation escalated to sheer ridiculousness.

With that ending the ceremony, following the program all regular students should have known about going to certain places scattered among all the school's territory for the purpose of getting an ID card, on which you put your personal data to access the faculties of the institute.

Naruto lost a bit of faith in humanity the moment he turned his head back and saw several groups of students running like drooling dogs towards the refined Miyuki who was discussing with someone.

Hopefully she had already excused herself and went somewhere else.

Obviously she did not.

She just stood there, still on the podium talking politely with…

...

Saegusa Mayumi.

...he needed to retreat, swiftly and plainly like a shadow, just as the Shinobi he was. Right now, he didn't want to talk to her, the meeting would be extremely and utterly awkward.

Why? Not because he was angry at her surely, only children would hold grudges and do nothing. He was a mature teenager.

That's right, mature persons held grudges and actually did something about it. Sooner or later, he would surely prank that red-eyed girl!

…back on topic, he was even pretty near the mass of Course 1 Students since the 'Weeds' were being pushed away, but the line of sight of President Mayumi could shift only slightly and she would be able to catch a glimpse of his bright blonde hair. After all, almost no one in the school had such eye-catching color as his, so her gaze could be directed at him in any moment and second…!  
>And at that single moment, Naruto briefly wondered why he didn't possess the ability of keeping his thoughts at bay, since apparently even these jinxed you.<p>

Why couldn't he turn invisible without any Magic?

Why among _all _the students around him and her, she had to glance in his direction and then fully stare at him?

"Retreat!" Among the chatters of the students, his shout was only heard by Honoka and Shizuku, both wondering how to infiltrate in the crowd of fans surrounding Miyuki before staring at the Shinobi, earning him a surprised and barely affected look respectively "Let's go!"

So for the purpose of a proud retreat (running away like a coward) Uzumaki Naruto picked two petite girls like a sack of potatoes and vanished away to get those bothersome ID cards.

**XxX**

"You are too rough, blondie…"

"Ah. Sorry, I'll put it in more gently now."

"Ah! It had already come out."

"That was rather quick…"

"Wait, isn't this conversation going into a dangerous territory?!"

Naruto exclaimed while retrieving his ID card from the digital printer. His card had some scratches along the edges due to the impulsive blonde having forced it into the printer directly, but it didn't suffer any lasting damage due to the material which composed it.

Hearing his sudden outburst, Shizuku just promptly ignored him and proceeded to take a blank card for herself.

To create an ID card, you had to go to one of the digital printers found in the school. Stored there were extremely resilient polycarbonate blank cards. Taking one for each student, you put the usual kind of information such as picture, name, surname, date of birth and class in the terminal of the printer, which then would begin to download the data into the ID, these showing directly on the surface.

Naruto and the girls had ended up near one of the printers after he had retreated (ran away) from the enemy Saegusa Mayumi, but he had the brief sensation that something must have happened to him while on the run, an event that greatly damaged him…

Pff, it must have been just his imagination.

"You are so troublesome…" While connecting her personal mobile terminal at the printer, Honoka absently muttered, tough her tone was high enough so that he could hear. Without changing her tone, she sarcastically asked: "You have no common sense. Where have you lived until now, on an island?"

"…cough."

"…your silence is awfully suspicious." Shizuku hadn't even meant it as a real question, but she surprisingly found out something unexpected.

Naruto once again coughed embarrassed, wondering how this girl was so perceptive.

"Well...you know how my clan is reserved so yes... I lived most of my life on an island. We live pretty differently from you guys." It was a slightly embarrassing argument for Naruto as he always showed surprise at almost anything here in the modern city. It was pretty entertaining finding new stuff every time he would take a step or two, but due to having been raised away from society he lacked what appeared obvious to most people.

He didn't even try to cover it with a lie. When it came to deceive someone his face always grew a nervous grin in the most important moments, so the members of the clan just had to look at him to tell whether he was lying or not.

"How shocking, the guy who is admired, respected so much by Honoka is a hermit that until now lived on an island devoid of technology."

"S-Shizuku! Don't say it like that!"

Naruto couldn't tell if the grey-haired girl was serious or just joking, her tone of voice was just too flat.

Not knowing what to say, he just blurted out in frustration: "Was it me, or you were being snarky?"

"It was sarcastic, wasn't it obvious?" She asked with either honesty or sarcasm while pulling out her filled card "It's your turn, Honoka."

'It wasn't obvious at all! What's more, it's more shocking the fact that you know how to make snarky remarks!' He wanted to scream out the straight man exclamation, but refrained as he felt he would end up doing the role for the remainder of their relationship if he were to start it here.

In these minutes he had discovered it out first-hand, how this small student named Kitayama Shizuku could say everything straightforwardly, make incredibly effective snarky responses and talk about the erotic stuff without the slightest kind of shame that a girl of her age would usually have at such a topic.

Today was really full of surprises, next he would find that President Saegusa was a childish sadist who enjoyed teasing others about every subject possible…

…he should seriously stop making challenges at fate.

Honoka started to make her own card, repeating the same process from before while conversing with Naruto and Shizuku: "Um…so, Uzumak-"

"No surname, I hate when people refer to me by it." Naruto abruptly came in while she was talking, trying his best to have his voice sound soothing and not too forceful. The first time they had talked, the ones around him had seen him as a bully due to their difference in height and the tone he had used, so he tried to don't ruin the good reputation he made thanks to his outstanding practical exams.

…well, that and the fact that the pig-tailed girl near him could be easily frightened. This didn't surprise him at all.

Also, he didn't say the word 'hate' lightly. Naruto despised being recognized by his surname, it felt as if he was acknowledged only for the prestige of the Uzumaki.

"Ah...em, then N-Naruto-kun..." she vainly fought a blush forming on her cheeks for referring to him so intimately "…are you a hermit?"

At this question, Naruto really wanted to scream 'What the hell?!' but refrained from doing so. He simply twitched once or twice before answering: "No, don't believe what this midget says" He pointed out behind him "It's just that my clan resides in an island near Okinawa, and most of my life I stayed there."

"Do you really have the freedom to say this information so lightly?" Shizuku questioned the blonde about his careless revelation, her voice holding a bit of reprimand in there.

Generally, Magic Families didn't announce their secrets so carelessly. Even if the residence wasn't common knowledge it wasn't kept a secret either. But for clans like the Yotsuba and Uzumaki, which were excessively secretive with even the location of their headquarters, what Naruto had revealed to them could be considered a scandal.

In response, he just waved his hand nonchalantly: "Yes, yes. I made sure that no one could hear what I just said, and I trust you two in not telling it to anyone."

"Why do you put such trust in us?" Having finished her card too, the business regarding the ID cards came to an end. They didn't have anything to do there anymore, so the strange trio composed of a tall male and two shorts females walked away.

"Mm? Honoka-chan, are you saying that I shouldn't have faith in you? I see, you're going to betray me and…" The whiskered blonde considered this as the perfect opportunity to tease his small friend, so he faked his sadness while hiding his face, which had assumed the characteristics of a mischievous fox with narrowed eyes when not in Honoka's sight.

"N-no! I didn't mean that!" She denied, believing that he had really meant what he said. Losing his trust was something she absolutely wanted to avoid, hence her teary eyes.

"Honoka, you shouldn't believe what this blondie says, he is deceiving you." Shizuku interjected to assist her friend who was seriously panicking that her idol wasn't going to put any faith in her, while also slightly insulting the Uzumaki.

"Hey, that statement can be redirected right back at you, midget!"

"C-come on, don't fight…"

They passed some minutes bickering with each other while the timid girl was trying to stop them. Honoka finally managed to cease their heated discussion or rather it was something else that attracted their attention to the point where they wordlessly established a truce in order to check what was going on.

A rather big crowd, awfully similar to the one which had amassed itself around Shiba Miyuki some minutes ago, was continuously growing by attracting the students passing near it. Not even the trio was an exception, as the three Course 1 students headed there in order to know what was happening.

The two petite girls were having some trouble to see since a lot of persons were blocking the view, but on the other hand the blonde was able to easily tower over them and managed to catch a glimpse of the situation.

The center of the attention was, as suspected by Naruto, the freshmen representative Shiba Miyuki, also accompanied by two female Course 2 students. Both were, according to Naruto's standards, rather cute.

One of them possessed fiery orange hair, tough the color could be easily mistaken for red, and an expression that coupled with her facial features just suggested the word 'wild'. On the other hand, the second girl radiated a timid-like aura, even her posture and eyes gave the blonde a feeling of submission. Her hair was of a normal black and her eyes of an incredibly bright yellow.

But that was hardly what caught the gaze of the whiskered man. Instead, what he considered as really worthy of his notice was the pair of eyeglasses she was wearing on her.

That did really make her stand out, as Naruto never saw anyone with glasses aside from his people on the island. Yakumo-sensei had told him that apparently technology was advanced to the point where nowadays it could cure people affected by myopia, so the only one wearing spectacles did it for protection or fashion sense.

Naruto got the feeling that the meek-looking girl was in possession of that item for none of the above-mentioned reasons. Instead, a sensation of familiarity crawled in him, knowing someone else wearing glasses for the exact same reason.

In fact, he could guess what probably caused the Course 2 Student to put those lenses on herself.

Over-sensitivity to Spiritual Aura, he didn't know if the outside had discovered this 'illness' or had some other name for it, but that was how he and his family called the condition which the black-haired girl suffered.

It was not an overstatement to define the ability as extremely rare, only few Magicians possessing this kind of skill and even within the Uzumaki clan only two members had the Over-sensitivity advanced to the point where it was always and constantly activated. It allowed an individual to become able to detect the Spiritual Aura, or Pushions for Modern Magicians, present in air or leaking from another person capable of using Magic.

The skill was certainly useful, with that you were allowed to know when a spell was going to be casted or discern the nature of one. But that also meant you were always observing the world differently when compared to other's point of view. Insanity was a possible option among the mental states you could end up with.

'She has the same ability as Karin…' Naruto mused on this while his eyes scanned the area in order to find what else was luring people in this place. The primary reason was without doubt the beautiful girl that held the speech but…

That was when his eyes set upon a male wearing the uniform of the school, albeit without the symbol on the left chest, with black hair and an emotionless expression.

'That fucking traitor…!' Swearing in his own mind, Uzumaki Naruto held a look of comical rage on his face. The guy who had just abandoned him in the time of need, completely disregarding the men's code, he was in front of him and from that angle he would be able to place a perfect kick on his head.

'Maybe a Dynamic Entry represents the suitable mean with which I could to punish him…' The blonde had these sorts of violent thoughts in his head…

"He's a Weed…"

"Eh, seriously…?"

"A top sister and a failure brother, it must be really embarrassing to enter in the same school…"

...when he heard whispers from the arrogant Course 1 Students who composed most of crowd in front of him. They didn't pretend or try to hide anything. Their words of scorn and derision were born from the intention of being heard by Tatsuya, a 'lowly' Course 2 student.

This probably happened because of the extremely biased mindsets of these bastards who couldn't handle the fact that their 'Shiba Miyuki-sama' was related by blood to the 'reserve' known as Shiba Tatsuya.

Naruto just had enough of all this bullshit! These pampered pieces of shit, thinking of themselves as superior beings for only having a little more skill than the 'Weeds', going along the flow of stepping upon the less talented! He didn't even need to get influenced by his killing intent to gain a desire to put down the human trash!

…and yet, he couldn't allow himself to have violent intentions swarming in his head. Causing trouble in public would put dirt on the image of his whole clan. Such selfishness would be unacceptable to both Naruto and his family.

He had to put considerable effort to restrain himself on lashing out to every student who was rude enough to insult someone they didn't even know or never talked to. Though, that didn't stop the hardly concealed glare he was sending to the back of most 'Blooms', the crowd having dispersed when maybe they had realized how rude it was from their part to constantly nag Miyuki, not granting her a minimum of privacy. Even so, Naruto's anger was further fueled when he took notice of the hateful looks the dispersing students were giving to Tatsuya and his uniform, obviously meaning how they looked down at him for being a 'Weed'.

The thought 'you shouldn't stay with someone as great as Miyuki-sama' was written all over their face.

Even so, an exception among them was natural, yet unexpected. The Uzumaki felt his bad mood slowly disappearing at seeing that one student was giving a complicated, indifferent look to Tatsuya' figure: he was a Course 1 Student for obvious reasons, the eight-petal flower on his chest. He reached a similar height to Naruto and Tatsuya, albeit he looked slightly frailer compared to both of them. Also, without meaning compromising things about his sexuality, Naruto did think that this brown-haired guy had a handsome face, enough to warrant a slight blush from any girl not used to good-looking persons.

It was nice, seeing that there were still people that could rationalize with their own head and not mindlessly following others.

Good, now Naruto was feeling calmer by the second, his previous negative emotion forgotten. He didn't know any other way to tone his anger down, heck he was never good at handling precisely his emotions, but witnessing that someone at least had more decency than the usual bastards around here, that brought a small smile on his face.

Now, he had yet to forgive Tatsuya, so about the matter on how to punish him …

**XxX**

Shiba Tatsuya was feeling quite nervous.

No, it's slightly incorrect. It's more right to say that he was being constantly tense and looking around, as if expecting an attacker. He was adjusting his stance to be ready if he had to face an opponent coming out of nowhere.

That was only to be expected, as the Guardian of his sister Shiba Miyuki his body and soul were dedicated to preserve and protect her being. Despite his emotionless state, no rather it was because of his mental state that since he could never again recover any strong emotions, all of it was compensated by the protectiveness he felt for her.

That was the one and only feeling he would never and ever forget, something to keep inside his heart forever.

Today, the 3th day in the month of April, Shiba Tatsuya had detected a strong killing intent more than a single time. Its intensity and ferocity were more than enough to unnerve him and he was thinking that if he had never undergone that Operation, right now he would be shaking in fear.

Shibata Mizuki, a Course 2 Student suffering from Over-sensitivity to Spirit Particles Emission, had felt slightly sick and had almost puked at the same time the killing intent had manifested itself, eliciting an alarmed reaction from her friend Chiba Erika.

Upon her asking for the reason of her health condition, Mizuki had answered that she 'saw' an enormous amount of Pushions and Psions exploding out above the Course 1 Students area. She had given the description of an extremely wretched and disgusting being, words not suited to a meek girl like her, for then stopping after Erika had told her to not force herself and simply rest.

Tatsuya at first had been worried for the bespectacled girl, seeing her in such a state would worry anyone. When he had come to know of her 'eyes' from the way she used the verb 'see' in her statement, he had grown quite alarmed, but had quickly buried the thoughts for another moment to concentrate on this 'wretched and disgusting being' which had elicited the extreme reaction from Mizuki.

All of it could have been a coincidence, but it had happened a second time, starting when the chairman showed up to the presentation of Miyuki. Mizuki's eyes had once again reflected the 'being' and she hadn't been able to hold her tears of terror anymore. All of that was sufficient for Tatsuya to investigate on it not just ignore it.

Whoever happened to be the one in possess of such a strong desire to kill was most certainly not a simple student of First High School, nor belonged to any common organization.

First of all, it was just too strong to belong to an ordinary citizen or anyone who never experienced the act of ending another being's life, even Tatsuya could feel shivers running down on his spine. It wasn't an emotion what he was feeling but it was more like a warning from his instinct, telling him that getting involved wouldn't result in anything advantageous.

Second, even if he or she was just a normal high school student, the one responsible had hidden his or her outburst quite well judging from the fact the only Tatsuya, who possessed considerable fighting ability and experience, along with Mizuki due to her condition had been able to detect it.

Tatsuya didn't know the reason or person behind these sudden bloodthirsty outbursts and frankly he didn't care. But the fact that someone as dangerous as that was roaming around the school and putting in great danger Miyuki, disrupting his sister's ordinary life…

In case it attacked her, there would be only one thing to do. He would eliminate such a dangerous subject.

As the Guardian and brother of Shiba Miyuki, keeping her safe and alive was his duty, reason and only desire.

For this reason, his body and mind were both ready to counterattack every threat coming at him or Miyuki.

That's why…

"Dinamic Entry!"

…when a voice he knew he had heard somewhere else shouted something incomprehensible for his ears, his senses tingled and warned him of an attack from behind.

As already mentioned several times, he was more than ready to block and destroy any threats aiming at his or Miyuki's safety, therefore he didn't need to think twice about it before spinning his body around to easily catch the incoming attack. It was even telegraphed, so his reaction was almost purely activated by reflexes.

When he turned around enough that he was facing directly the direction from which the shout came from, the male Shiba somehow wasn't surprised in any way at seeing the face of a blonde, whiskered man trying to hit him with a flying kick.

Even though he was supposed to not feel any kind of strong emotion, at witnessing the smug grin present on him, Shiba Tatsuya could honestly admit that right then he would like nothing more than to wipe it away either by physical pain or humiliation.

Both were fine too.

When Naruto's stretched leg came sufficiently close, Tatsuya grabbed it with both of his hands and used all his weight to pull him and then slam him to the ground.

At least that was the plan.

At the same moment Tatsuya used his hands to seize the blonde's kick, Naruto's face just showed a momentary slight surprise at his attack being intercepted so readily, completely ignoring the fact that he had announced loud and clear his move before.

'He's good!' Naruto was nonetheless impressed that the Shiba had been able to catch his attack 'But…!' Even so, unexpected situations were the norm on a fight or battlefield. Therefore, the moment the Uzumaki felt his opponent's fingers clenching strongly on his ankle, his body twisted unnaturally and put him in a position where his other unused leg was right under Tatsuya's chin.

This provoked another surprised reaction, but this time it was the black-haired man that got caught in an unforeseen situation. When Naruto's other leg placed under his face stretched at high speed, his reflexes readily made his body avoid the blow by abandoning the grip he had on the first leg and stepping back to avoid the second blow.

Now free, the blonde spun himself in the air to regain his balance and prevent a nasty fall on his neck. He did so successfully by landing on his crouched legs on the ground while Tatsuya was still battle ready, evident by the stance he was which would allow him to leap at any moment.

All of this happened in barely two seconds from the first blow.

The viewers of this short confrontation stood on their spot with widened eyes. Understandable since you just didn't expect every day that a student would come at you, shouting the name of some ridiculous move and then try to land a flying kick on your face, for then failing and then attempting to strike you once again with an ascending kick by rotating the body abnormally.

So yes, Mizuki and Erika were in other and simpler words, extremely surprised.

Miyuki, on the other hand, her feelings of being caught off guard were completely overridden by the anger and fury she felt at her brother being attacked by some random stranger. Did he feel no shame at attacking someone out of the blue?! Was he another ignorant that looked down on her dear brother?! The thoughts incessantly swarmed in her head. Even if Tatsuya could defend himself without any problem, his sister couldn't withstand that this man could get away without the proper punishment!

'How dare you…!' Recklessly and without thinking of the consequences, Miyuki prepared her CAD and almost tapped into an Activation Sequence, evident from the azure frost light gathering around her.

Almost being the key word, as a hand gently touched her shoulder to prevent another attack that would have prolonged the conflict.

Miyuki already knew who was the one touching her body, she wouldn't mistake that strong yet gentle grip for anyone else's. Looking up, she saw her brother Tatsuya giving her a small smile trying to reassure her with a 'leave it to me' gesture.

Obediently, Miyuki backed off to leave the matter to her brother, pocketing her CAD and simply glaring lightly at the blonde attacker. Once Tatsuya was sure that his sister calmed down, he inwardly let out a sigh of relief that she was able to restrain herself from making the entire school yard skip a few seasons directly to winter. That would have been a real problem.

A complete opposite from the kind, brotherly smile he had given to his sister, when Tatsuya turned his head the assuring smile was replaced by an icy glare directed to the blonde who had just attacked him.

Truthfully, the male Shiba wasn't really feeling any hostility against the blonde 'Bloom'. In that attack there had been no intent to seriously harm anyone, though from the difficulty he had in catching the kick he could deduce that it wasn't made half-heartedly either. Another reason for which he didn't immediately retaliate with lethal force when they had broken their short exchange of blows was that the blonde moved in a familiar manner.

It was really subtle to the point that Miyuki, who was usually really perceptive, wasn't able to notice it. But those swift, flexible movements, as if the body was a leaf dancing around in the wind, they were hard to dismiss as an amateurish fighting style.

Naruto moved just like a certain bald monk.

There were a few differences, but it was fundamentally the same.

Shiba Tatsuya was awfully suspicious that Uzumaki Naruto had connections to the Ninjutsu Master, Kokonoe Yakumo. Just attacking him and therefore continuing the battle would bring no results, right now the 'Weed' desired to know more about what was going on. When he first met the blonde, suspicions had arisen in him when he had noticed the muscular build unbefitting a high school student under that uniform. Obviously, what made him mark the 'Bloom' as a suspicious character was the fact that he didn't introduce his name properly, only saying his personal name. That alone had planted the seed of mistrust in Tatsuya since as mentioned before a simple name could hold an enormous power. He had already encountered two Magicians from the Number Family System: the Student Council President Saegusa Mayumi of the 'Seven' and his fellow 'Weed' classmate of 1-E, Chiba Erika of the 'One Thousand'.

Now thinking back to their first meeting, the skill with which he had manipulated the steel wire he had used to stumble the female Course 1 Students who had insulted him, that sort of equipment fit perfectly into the idea of 'Shinobi' that the monk always utilized when describing himself.

Also, this didn't have any logical basis in it, but Tatsuya felt slightly wary when in the presence of Naruto. What he felt against him could be described as unease and discomfort. Observing and predicting the actions of others was something that the Shiba had necessarily developed in order to protect Miyuki at the maximum of his capabilities.

But the blonde… he couldn't get a good read on him. It was much like Yakumo-sensei, both of them were unpredictable in their own right and just in the moment you were absolutely sure that you caught their intention, they would slip from your claws and gleefully proceed to taunt you.

It was really annoying.

"Naruto, why did you attack me?" Neither hostile nor kind (obviously), the 'Weed' interrogated the blonde, who just got up from his crouched position and was currently sweeping his own uniform to get rid of some non-existent dirt.

"Ah well, first of all~" Naruto at first just scratched his spiky hair sheepishly "that was supposed to hit you as a punishment for abandoning me with Saegusa Mayumi!" for then adopting an outraged expression while rudely pointing a finger to Tatsuya.

The girls accompanying the emotionless student were absolutely clueless to what he was talking about, only Miyuki had some idea of what he meant while Erika and Mizuki just couldn't keep up with the flow of the events.

Meanwhile, Tatsuya didn't bother to hide his sigh at the childish reason that had motivated an assault from the blonde, what he said just sounded as something that Kokonoe Yakumo would have done. Really, the more he talked to him the more those two looked alike. It was as if they were the same, which was not good at all.

One pervert monk was more than enough.

"And second, I just wanted to test your skills. Yakumo-sensei regards you highly, you know. It just makes sense for me to get curious and see if he wasn't biased in his judgment." Naruto abandoned his angry expression while his eyes assumed a challenging look "From what I've seen, he wasn't overestimating you."

Now Tatsuya's doubts and suspects were cleared, this guy really knew the Ninjutsu master. He had justified his actions with such confidence and absence of hostility that the 'Weed' automatically loosened his guard, as if feeling that he could trust him completely.

Miyuki also discarded the glare she had been previously sending to Naruto. Both her and her brother didn't detect any trace of lie or deceit, so he was likely telling them the truth.

"What's your connection with him?" The question was a natural one, something he was curious about. Yakumo-sensei wasn't the type of person that just went right and left blabbering about all of his secrets and disciples. On the contrary, a perfect way to describe the monk would be 'secretive, shady and unpredictable'. Therefore Kokonoe Yakumo told these matters to only the ones he absolutely trusted. Especially the subject of Tatsuya and Miyuki could be categorized among the 'top secret' information.

"Eh~? Should I tell you?" At Naruto's teasing response, Tatsuya just scrunched hi eyebrows in irritation, prompting the blonde to get a little more serious. "Mm, our relationship, uh…? How about we talk about it tomorrow, you have early training right?" Naruto proposed for then shutting his eyes like slits, giving the impression of a mischievous fox and once again that of a certain monk. This was really starting to bother Tatsuya, the blonde and the bald were getting too alike with the passing of time. And next what, Naruto would end up being a self-proclaimed Shinobi too?

"That's acceptable." He accepted to postpone the discussion, not missing how the blonde glanced briefly at the two Course 2 Students behind him, Erika and Mizuki. A more discreet location like the isolated temple of Yakumo would be infinitely more suitable than a school with 600 students able to potentially overhear their conversation.

"Yeah, I will be waiting. See you tomorrow Tatsuya!" Cheerfully saying this, Naruto quickly left the school grounds by heading the entrance gates, and in mere seconds he disappeared from their view.

"..."

A pregnant silence reigned on the area they stood on.

It was understandable, the rush of events was just so sudden and unexpected that they couldn't adapt to it immediately.

'…what the hell was that?' Was the current thought that invaded a certain Course 2 Student's mind. Nay, this sentiment was shared by every person who had witnessed the scene, but she was the one who was feeling more confusion than anyone else. Erika didn't know what to do. The feeling of awkwardness was abundant right now, so she had to say something in order to dispel this weird atmosphere. Anything was fine, she just didn't want to prolong the mood anymore!

"…so, since we're all here, want to go to a cake shop? It's right down the road."

She just said the first thing that came to her mind.

Despite how inappropriate it was, they all ended up in agreeing with the offer.

**XxX**

Meanwhile, completely forgotten by the blonde Shinobi were two petite 'Blooms'.

Both of them had watched the entire exchange between Uzumaki Naruto and Shiba Tatsuya. Clearly, like the few bystanders who witnessed it, they too had marveled at the display of physical and athletic skill displayed by them. Despite the short duration of their blows…no, it was precisely because of the speed at which their hits travelled that they were still amazed.

In the short time that the bond between Naruto, Shizuku and Honoka had been established, it seemed as if Shizuku openly disliked the blonde, continuously making snarky comments and taking advantage of every opening to humiliate him.

What you could describe as a pseudo-antagonistic relationship. Also, the grey-haired girl had been trying to constantly tease her best friend about her admiration for the whiskered male, but in truth she didn't have any right to do so.

Like Honoka, an intense respect and admiration towards Naruto had already taken place in Shizuku's heart. In these kinds of situations, she was really glad that her face didn't do much work in letting out her feelings otherwise she wouldn't know how she had to behave around the blonde.

Since their first years, even as early as the elementary school, no one had been as able as her and Honoka. Obviously there were people who had been more talented than them in other fields such as cooking or sport, but it wasn't about that.

Both of them held innate talent for Magic. No matter what hurdle or difficulty they were against, nothing stopped them from achieving the best results possible.

To not give any room for misunderstanding, they weren't so conceited as to readily state that no one could wield the ability to match them, though she couldn't deny that the idea had never crossed her mind.

That's why Honoka and Shizuku considered each other as many things: best friends, sister-like companions, rivals and a fellow Magician to surpass.

When they had entered into First High School, they had never expected anything too special. Sure, when she had controlled the roster of her class she did find some interesting and famous surnames such as a Morisaki Shun from the Hundred Families, belonging to the Morisaki Clan renowned for its famous technique 'Quickdraw'. Such a prestigious family should have had amazed her, but in fact she had been hardly impressed.

Shizuku had met him at the practical entrance exam, a fairly tall guy with short brown hair and a pompous air around him which practically screamed 'kneel at me'. Her impression of him had immediately fallen to the bottom when she had witnessed a scene in which he had laughed at another student because of his low score at the casting speed test. Another elitist, that's what she would think whenever someone like him exhibited a similar action in front of her.

Back to the topic, despite the speed at which he had employed to cast his Magic, largely thanks to his family technique, Shizuku had had a hard time about developing a scenario in her head where she could lose to him. No matter what, when put in comparison she exceeded him in everything possible, ranging from her repertory of spells to her Magic Power and Magic Theory.

She had been considerably…disappointed. Did someone of her and Honoka's age exist that could surpass their Magical skill? Was there no one? She had almost given up at the possibility of a true competition between Magicians of similar ability.

But when her best friend Honoka had phoned her, she hadn't been able to believe what the other side of the cellphone had reported to her. No, rather she had really desired to put her faith in what she had been told to, to hope she hadn't been having auditory hallucinations.

Honoka had described two Magicians, a female and male, both achieving the 1st and 2nd places respectively in the practical entrance exam of First High School. Honestly, Shizuku had strongly expected that that rank would belong to her and her pig-tailed friend, but apparently she had made a mistake. Also, their scores were much higher if compared to the 3rd place, which belonged to her. The girl had completed her Systematic Movement Magic in 0.285 seconds, an amount of time never heard of before in the entire history of the institute! The male instead had obtained a lower one but extremely close to the previous score, finishing his exam with only 0.294 seconds and even while utilizing Ancient Magic, truthfully considered a slow style!

At first she had considered if she had been really hearing right, had she been perhaps imagining everything? Or maybe it had been Honoka who was starting to get delusional? By any chance her best friend had exaggerated her description of those two prodigious students?

But there was no chance that Honoka imagined all of that. She too desired for someone with which she could compete equally, without holding back, so making up a story about two potential rivals was something that would have only hurt her in the end.

But maybe… no, Honoka wouldn't lie, she had always told the truth to her, above all she couldn't gather the courage to lie to her best friend, therefore if she had said that two Magicians of that caliber existed than Shizuku had no reason to doubt her.

Fortunately, Honoka had been able to pick up both of their name. The girl was a beauty with long black hair named Shiba Miyuki while the male a blonde with blue eyes called Uzumaki Naruto.

Shiba was a pretty common name, one you could find everywhere. It was really rare, if not outright impossible that the daughter of a normal family inherited the Magic Calculation Area needed to build the Magic Sequences from some ancestor, but miracle like could always happened.

On the other hand, when Honoka had muttered the surname Uzumaki, Shizuku's face had brightened with astonishment: a member of the secretive Uzumaki Clan, as prestigious as one Family from the Ten Master Clans, going out in public without care, enrolling in one of the Magic High Schools of Japan without any warning at all? It wasn't as if they were chained with any responsibilities about this, but just pushing a member of their family out in public like that was…

When the first day of school had come, both Honoka and Shizuku had been obviously excited beyond reason. After all, what they had waited for many years would come to fruition! They had planned to check the classes' roster to search the name of both of these students after the entrance ceremony in order to introduce themselves.

It had been unexpected that one would lead the aforementioned ceremony and the other would literally fall down in the chair beside theirs.

Shizuku had really wanted to scream profanities upon such a surprising coincidence but had held herself back. As a proper lady of the Kitayama Family, she wasn't one to use such brazen language.

Still, the grey-haired girl had been caught off guard although her poker face did do a splendid job in masking her panicking state. She had kept a blank expression on the outside, but the truth had been that inside her mind had struggled in search of the best introduction to make, how to create a strong image in front of this blonde.

Throughout her life, Shizuku had never made any friend other than Honoka, both for the fact that she wasn't really interested in it and the problem her emotionless, deadpan face presented, always driving away everyone else.

So why bother developing any social skill at all? At the time she had really believed that Honoka would remain her one and only friend in all her life, so unconsciously she didn't really trust the possibility that a more talented Magician than them could appear in her life.

So the chance that she could have introduced herself properly had been utterly slim, if it had been a bet it would have been more profitable to gamble on anything else. So when she had finally met him, what had she said?

The blond guy with a dumb face, she had said.

She had insulted him! Among all the possible and existing choices, how had her brain processed that the best approach was to make fun of him right from the start?! Had she already ruined everything by entering into his black list?! If she had known something like this would have eventually happened, then she would have trained her social skills!

She hadn't missed the glare he sent to her. She had definitely started with the wrong foot!

After exchanging a few words with Honoka, he had then just gone quiet and his cheery visage had shifted to a blank, reminiscing expression, but Shizuku could honestly describe it as a genuine dumb face.

That had been a perfect occasion to think about some way to apologize! 'Open you mind to opportunities, Shizuku! You can do it!' That's what she had thought.

"Kitayama Shizuku, blondie."

...well, it had been certainly better than calling him a dumb face… but that's not it! Moreover, from what era did the word 'blondie' come from?! And wasn't it a demeaning way to call someone anyway?! It meant something like airhead, so she had basically just modified the formality of her insult!

But it seemed he hadn't taken it too hardly, although the fact that he had twitched in annoyance didn't encourage the girl a lot. Despite him calling her a midget Shizuku didn't get angry, or more like she didn't have any right to retort the statement, it would have been the act of a hypocrite. It was true after all, even for women's standards her height was measured under average. He had actually smiled and hadn't emitted any negative feeling or hostility, so she had internally breathed out a sigh of relief for not getting on his bad side. She wanted to become friend with him after all.

The entrance ceremony had then started, and another surprise had come with the apparition of the freshmen's representative, a beautiful girl adorned with long black hair without an imperfection and completely symmetrical features. Shizuku hadn't even needed to look around to understand that everyone in the auditorium had had the same reaction as hers, staying glued to the seat while gaping amazed.

Could she blame them? Nobody had expected for such a godly beauty to step on the platform and Shizuku's reaction had multiplied tenfold when she had heard the introduction of her name by the chairman's booming voice.

"Shiba Miyuki!"

What?! Shiba Miyuki, he meant that Shiba Miyuki?! The student occupying the first place in both the practical and overall exam, the girl who both Shizuku and Honoka had been searching for her high magical abilities along with Uzumaki Naruto! The truth was that she hadn't been allowed so drown in surprise: it was obvious that a prodigy like her would be chosen as the representative of the new students in First High School.

Still, she had aimed to find both of these students who created a gap between other Magicians in the exams and they just happened to fall directly in her laps? Hadn't it too much of a coincidence?! Not that she really complained, it had been certainly much easier when compared to the option of inspecting all of the school.

Miyuki had then started a speech about the need of cooperating all together regardless of Magic Power or social standing, like a single entity. Obviously she hadn't announced it aloud, but through some small hints scattered in her phrases. Shizuku was pretty good at picking undertone and hidden meanings due to many rich men aiming to get on her good side with sweet and alluring words, it was almost second nature picking up these kinds of deceptions. But that mental trick hadn't been meant for a bad purpose and instead Shizuku had found it quite noble and righteous of the representative for her attempt at mending the rupture between the Course 1 and Course 2.

Later, when she had terminated her speech, the whole student body had erupted in cheers and claps, many already shouting proposals of marriage or confessions of love. Looking at her side, Honoka too had seemed to refrain from doing something and much like the starry stare that she had given to Naruto earlier, her best friend had been holding her hands together while appearing to be on the verge of tears. Not for sadness but joy, her feelings of admiration standing above her.

Wow, Shizuku knew how emotional and oversensitive her friend could get but… the situation had been getting quite ridiculous, people had been even starting to crowd around Shiba Miyuki, questioning her about stupid things and saying how amazing she was.

**XxX**

_Honoka was standing on the grey-haired girl's right, wondering how she could fit in it. She also wanted to talk to 'Miyuki-sama', apparently the nickname had been already adopted by half of the whole student body. If you gave thought about it, the reality of this was getting miserable, even third years were giving their loyalty and lives to the representative and that without even excluding the female ones. Shiba Miyuki could basically change one's sexual orientation with just her presence._

_To say the truth, it wasn't as if Shizuku didn't have the desire to get in there and talk to the Shiba, but the fact that everyone was swarming her hardly defined the amass of shouts as a conversation. She didn't want to be confused as a rude individual who, without giving a care about the interested person, just kept in pestering her and ignored her uneasy and nervous face-_

_Then, all of sudden her view just lifted in height. Before she could understand what had happened, her world speeded up and the crowd of students quickly shrank before her eyes. She could only catch a word among the noisy shouts filling the auditorium._

"_Retreat!"_

_Seriously, that made absolutely no sense in the current situation. Still, that only perturbed Shizuku a little, so she glanced around and saw that Honoka was by her side, held in someone's arms like her. The voice was also familiar, and the only one who would get so folksy with the two of them was…_

"_Let's get those ID Cards!"_

_Ah, that voice really belonged to the cheery blonde that they both admired in their own way. He was carrying the two petite girls with his arms wrapped around their waists, eliciting a furious blush to appear Honoka's face due to the sudden familiarity… no, well, Shizuku thought that even with a person you cared and knew for a long time, being picked up and dragged away just out of the blue ranked quite high among the list of weird happenings._

_They were being stared by mostly each student they were passing by. It failed to even faze the emotionless girl, but it wasn't always that you witnessed 'the scene of a tall male carrying two small girls' so she decided to concede them the rights of doing so. Although it also greatly annoyed her, being the target of dozens of eyes. Honoka too was on the verge of exploding from the happy emotion of being so close to her idol and the embarrassment this was causing her. _

_As she felt unexplainably close to the whiskered man carrying her, she stopped caring anymore about making a 'good figure' in front of the blonde, feeling intimate with him enough to give herself some liberties. Therefore she allowed herself to do this._

_An elbow hit the blonde's groin._

"_G-gahhhh!?"_

_Humans changed, technology changed, but the men's weakest and frailest point on the body was exactly between the legs and under the waist, in simpler words the genitalia area._

_Ah, that must have hurt. The pain she had delivered made Naruto slow down in a steady pace. He looked up to the sun, as if remembering all of sudden the most cherished memory in his existence, before dramatically dropping on his own knees and loosening his grip on both Shizuku and Honoka, freeing both of them._

_Both getting up from the ground, Honoka was doing a weird comical dance on the background, still dizzy from the aftereffects of the speedy run while Shizuku observed Naruto still on his knees, not budging a single muscle on his body and remaining steady on his position._

_She also briefly wondered why her elbow hurt from the blow she made. What were his testicles made of, steel?_

"_Ehy blondie, cease the drama and get up." She would be lying if she didn't admit that this was somewhat amusing, but her attack had been made with a purpose in mind and the fact that more people were going to look at them if on the scene were a weird dancing girl and a man on his knees, that was going to be really troubling._

_But Naruto apparently didn't listen and just observed the sky, still unmoving._

_Grumbling a little, Shizuku walked towards him to poke him in the side and maybe to give an apology. She was pretty sure that a hit with the elbow bone offered no pleasure unless your interests shifted to certain areas, one to the groin multiplied the damage by many numbers._

_When her small hand touched his body, instead of gaining a reaction for her sudden touch, she received the sight of his body hesitating in falling on the back or front before deciding to smack on the hard concrete right on the face. He was lying there, with a shocked expression written all over and already out of his senses._

'_He passed out…' So her damage really gave that much of a mental damage to her new friend? That must have been a really good hit despite her supposedly tiny, weak body… or maybe it was just the result of a blow to the critical area. Either way, she partially felt sorry for him, but the fact that he had basically kidnapped Shizuku and Honoka cut off half of her compassion._

_Still… that had been a surprisingly bold move. Not from Naruto, but Shizuku. She felt no embarrassment or shame at the act not because she despised the blonde, far from it. As mentioned, her feelings for him were admiration and friendship, but it hadn't even been an hour since they came to know each other, so why?_

_She had allowed herself that attack because she had mysteriously felt such closeness to him that something like that would be considered a friendly prank at most, something like best friends humiliating each other without care to show how their bond was strong._

_But… that made no sense. Not even an hour had passed, so why did she feel so intimate with him. No, it was more like she wanted to be close to him, tell him her secrets and private matters to develop their link._

_Maybe she was starting to feel the need of another companion aside of her best friend still dancing around, maybe she desired another one to talk to, laugh and compete with._

_But wasn't this somewhat like a betrayal toward Honoka, the clumsy girl who had always stood by her side all the time, even when she was avoided and isolated? Didn't this mean that Shizuku didn't feel enough satisfaction from the bond between the two of them?_

_It wasn't love, this wasn't some show in which the pure maiden would fall in love at first sight for the 'blonde haired blue eyes prince'. In the first place that usually happened only for the physical appearance of the hero. This was something lighter but deeper._

_Right now, Shizuku didn't exactly have much patience or determination to find a meaning behind all of this and to tell the exact truth she wouldn't try to find any reason behind it even after a lot of rest from the stressful experience. If she felt like this, she just did. Not everything could be explained, she wasn't the type of person to question the state of things or delve too deeply into a matter which she didn't have an understanding of._

_Also, it didn't feel too uncomfortable to have these emotions towards Naruto, maybe Shizuku could permit the word 'nice' in the description…_

"_Ugh… what in the Will of Fire happened…?" Breaking away from her dreamy state, the Kitayama turned her head to shift her now focused gaze to the blonde laying on the ground, massaging his face and a certain… private area "And why does my dick hurt?!"_

"_You fell while running with both me and Honoka in your arms. By the way, that was really rude of you, blondie." Shizuku answered while doing her best in keeping her poker face on. She almost bowled out in laughter when she noticed how he didn't remember the nasty elbow that landed a hit on his precious 'son', but letting her mouth open could potentially lead to a furious rampage from Naruto._

_Naruto rubbed his nose while sitting cross-legged on the ground: "Uh, sorry for that… but seriously, why does my dick hurt? I don't think that the laws of physics allow that from a simple fall, although it was pretty bad…" Stopping his movements, his eyes looked tiredly up at Shizuku's "I'm recalling that something hard had hit me from below… what was it…?"_

_That was bad! Even if his tone held no accusatory undertone, he could soon connect the dots. That would mean, as mentioned, that Naruto could remember what had happened before. That wouldn't be a good situation. At all. _

"_As you said before, we should go the ID printer. Help me with Honoka." Shizuku tried with success to quickly diffuse his memories by changing the topic of the discussion into helping their dancing friend. She then offered her hand as a support for him to get back on his feet, even if there was a low chance that her slim frame could hold the blonde's muscular structure._

_A little recovered from his dizzy state, Naruto stared surprised at the small, smooth hand offered to him. It was a little ironic, some weeks ago he had been the one giving help to Honoka and now it was Shizuku doing so. He doubted she could really give him any assistance with the difference in weight between them, but the gesture meant a lot for him. _

_The act surely cemented their friendship into something more lasting and closer, so as a sign of acceptance he grasped her small fingers around his' with a smile and pulled himself up on his own: "Yeah, I was wondering if I hit my head with that accident. Seeing Honoka doing a strange ritual dance in the background doesn't exactly fit into my impression of her…"_

_Shizuku listened to him while still subtly touching his still grasped hand. It was rough and coarse, but it gave such warmth that you could get addicted on it._

_It was really nice, accepting her earlier feelings about desiring a deep friendship with him was really the right choice…_

_She would have continued to grasp the bigger hand if she didn't gaze once more on the less than enviable state of her best friend, still dizzy and confused from the run: "…yes, that was your fault too, so as I said help me."_

"…_you can get surprisingly snarky, Shizuku-chan."_

_Shizuku didn't say anything, but bowed her head at the affectionate honorific to hide the blush growing on her._

_**XxX**_

Yes, in no more than fifteen minutes the relationship between Shizuku and Naruto had made a gigantic leap, landing in second place after that with Honoka. Well, not that she had any other friends to fill the other slots.

After that, they had ended up in registering their ID Cards at the printer, discovering then how the blonde was clueless about common things and how he found everything immensely interesting or hardly intriguing. He had shouted out in amazement when the printer's screen needed for putting data in the blank cards had presented to him the options available like the color of the card or the font for the letters.

And he had been raised on an island. No, she didn't mishear the information, he seriously had been raised on an island. Seriously, growing up on an island? She had accused him half-heartedly, but Shizuku had had no expectations that she would end up in guessing correctly his past.

Also, the fact that he had said such a thing so brazenly was what had worried her the most. He belonged to one of the most influential Magic Families, dropping information such as the location of their household maybe wasn't considered a secret in itself, after all the Saegusa Clan's location was well known and with a quick research you could find it easily.

But some Clans weren't so open about their private data and surely wouldn't be happy at knowing that one of their members had simply let out their location. Though Naruto hadn't precisely specified where this island was and he had only said you could find it near Okinawa, it still could probably count already as breaking the rules of his family.

The Uzumaki clan was surely one of the most reserved, letting out almost nothing about it other than the general type of Magic the members practiced and even so they did it grudgingly.

'Magic revolving around physical improvement and molecular interference' was what one member had said when asked about it, and the information had circulated at light speed around all the forums and networks. Like Naruto, he had frequented First High School and had been elected as the Student Council President, occupying the role from October 2093 to September 2094, therefore the year previous to this one.

The fact that an Ancient Magic user had surpassed the 'elites' practicing Modern Magic had been something that had put in disarray many Magicians from the Ten Master Clans, the 18 Assistant Houses and the Hundred Families. On the other hand, it had filled an enormous amount of pride in the Ancient Magic users, who had nearly thought that their art would just be forgotten and dismissed as a weak style.

Perhaps her new friend was closely related to the ex-president? No, it wasn't a possibility but a certainty. The Uzumaki Clan wouldn't send some random guy to represent its pride and honor, so they had to be brothers or cousins. There was no possibility that he was an Extra too, otherwise his surname would be modified.

Back on topic, she had felt beyond surprised that the blonde considered appropriate to tell them such things, but if he had did then it must have meant that he had enough trust in Honoka and Shizuku that they wouldn't betray him by having the information circulate around.

Granting this much to two girls who you barely met, not even knowing much aside from their name… Shizuku couldn't decide if she had to be amazed at his stupidity or pleased at his unconditional confidence in them.

Well, whatever it was, she had felt a weird sense of happiness boiling inside her. Having him trust her so much really did make her day.

After arguing with him a bit, the trio had noticed a crowd with a size rivalling the one which early had surrounded Shiba Miyuki and needless to say, like every curious human being, the three of them had headed in that direction to discover what would attract the attention of so many students.

The grey-haired 'Bloom' was confused that she had barely felt surprise when witnessing the freshmen representative Miyuki was the one there. Everything in the school grounds now seemed to revolve around the beautiful black-haired girl, as if the events were twisted in way as to accommodate the settings of a manga or light novel.

…of course, that was a ridiculous thought which deserved no praise, worth or time to dwell about.

While Miyuki had been without doubt the main center of the attention which gathered all the students nearby, it had seemed that a large part was also directing its gaze to a tall male student near her.

Shizuku didn't mean to offend in any way the young man, but his presence there had been absolutely unfit. Due to the presence of the beautiful freshmen representative and two other girls likewise of refined beauty, his unusual averageness had completely ruined the scene. He didn't have any particular trait worthy of note, just someone who you could describe as 'the usual high school student'.

Yet, she described him with the term 'unusual averageness' because his participation in that group had not been normal and he had given an abnormal vibe that she doubted anyone could have felt, but somehow he had appeared to be able to fit inside.

…Shizuku had given up in finding the right words to describe him, but put in simpler terms he was someone whose normality had made him stand out enough to be suitable in the presence of the three beauties near him.

Yes, it made no sense, but the same could be said about him.

Before she could have thought anything else about this black-haired 'average' student…

"He's a Weed..."

"Eh, seriously...?"

"A top sister and a failure brother, it must be really embarrassing to enter in the same school…"

…she had heard the unconcealed whispers of disdain from the Course 1 Students who held an elitist view about the system of different Courses. Obviously that meant at least the seventy percent of the 'Bloom' student body.

Shizuku didn't really stand in a particular position between the continuous discussion about if it was right or not dividing the number of students in two courses and giving one of them teachers while the other one ended up fending for itself.

She had a sense of justice, so like a person with good reason and deductive thinking she naturally considered that removing the flower emblem from the uniform of the 'Weeds' was an action which earned no respect, something only an idiot would do. An intervention like a slight modification would have been still within the borders of decency, but to outright depriving it was like telling that the Course 2 Students weren't worth even half of the Course 1 Students, it was inevitable that 'Weeds' rebelled and despised the system since they were the one taking the blunt.

Still, it was common that some of the 'failures' would go too far and would resort to physically assault the 'elites' driven by rage and embarrassment for being looked down.

Those were the ones that Shizuku felt were having a spoiled way of thinking. You just did not consider the Magic High Schools as normal institutes of learning. They were the schools which admitted only the most capable Magicians and being granted entrance in one already meant that you were the best that the country could offer.

The general populace had a one-sided way of thinking that led them to the conclusion that being a Magician opened the road to a blissful life, but they were terribly wrong.

Training, memorization of complicated formulas, training, perseverance and a talent to cultivate inside and out, these were a few of the many difficulties.

While you certainly needed talent and outstanding abilities to make it far, to just rely on one's personal skill without improving them meant that you were no better than a gorilla which just relied on its natural strength.

Magic was the act of altering reality, but spells were a false miracle and they had to be considered only as a wonder of highly advanced science. They relied on the Magic Calculation Area on the human brain, so overexerting the use of Magic would just give you migraines and mental stress similar to a headache or worse.

That's why Shizuku felt no sympathy for the 'Weeds' lamenting over the fact that they had no natural ability or good enough talent, to the point where they lashed out at other students.

The truth, even if hard to accept for some, was that if you did not have talent you were held back and not considered an elite, that was it. Everyone had enrolled in these professional schools with the knowledge that one could fall in the 'spares' section, it was something every Magicians attempting to get in knew.

Therefore, she stood in a neutral position, feeling that no side was wrong, right, just or evil. Each one was seriously overreacting in her opinion.

On the contrary, that hadn't appeared to be the same idea shared by the tall blonde near her. Naruto's eyes at that time had emanated a glim which bordered on murderous territory, the target and reason of his rage had been pretty obvious given the way he had twitched each time a derogatory comment about the 'Weed', who was apparently related as brother to Miyuki, was muttered loudly by the elitist 'Blooms'.

Shizuku would be lying if she said his expression hadn't provoked in her at least a bit of fear. It wasn't something you could feel even if you were near him, his emotion could just be given the simple name of pure, unaltered anger.

But his eyes… those eyes hadn't been something owned by a simple student, regardless of his skill with Magic or talent with anything else. It had nothing to do with that.

Where had the blue sky color which she could previously find so easily been? Before she could find it so easily by merely staring at him, but that pristine color didn't existed anymore, its place stolen by a vibrant red that had caused his presence and appearance to assume an even more feral look.

Yes, a beast would be an appropriate term. He had been giving her the vibe of a wild animal.

Shizuku meant nothing offensive or hostile towards Naruto, she was just stating a fact. Despite the fact that his negative emotions hadn't been directed towards Shizuku, it did little in reassuring her. She had had the certainty that he wouldn't just outright start to attack her, but the discomfort in that violent presence so different by his usual kind and warm demeanor was still there.

It was getting obvious that his dislike for the discrimination against the two courses system far surpassed what was called a simple sense of morality. Was it something personal, enough to steam such fury from his usually cheerful demeanor?

But this wasn't Shizuku's business and prying in it would be considered beyond rude or noisy.

Fortunately and to her relief, her new blonde friend had calmed down visibly by the return of the sky blue color in his eyes. She had yet to understand how the eyes could change color based on one's emotion, but since she lived in an era where teenager could temporarily rewrite events of the world she had just dismissed it as one of the mysteries of this science called Magic.

Shizuku considerably liked more the Naruto that radiated a warm and bright aura, the one who befriended her and Honoka almost immediately, instead of the one she witnessed earlier. Then she had realized, there had been another girl near him, another girl who could have witnessed his silent outburst.

Turning her head to look at her left, the grey-haired girl had been able to easily tell that Honoka had had a rather more sensitive reaction to the sudden spike in anger felt only by the two of them since they had been the nearest and the ones looking at him. Honoka had been a little farther away from Naruto when compared to the previous closeness they had had, so she had obviously backed away a little in fear.

She couldn't really fault her for this, after all her best friend was always more oversensitive in her responses to others, opposing the straight face of Shizuku that showed no emotions and from which you couldn't gauge anything. Honoka had been clasping her hands to her chest while slowly scooting away, but when she had noticed that Naruto's eyes returned to the original color and he had lost his rage, she warily returned by his side. Yet, she had still given him a timid look despite having calmed down.

'It seems we'll have to talk about this later…' Was the conclusion of Shizuku at that time. Leaving her in fear of their idol wasn't a good idea, it would slowly ruin their friendship. She didn't want for a simple accident to be the catalyst of their separation.

After that, the events had unfolded with Naruto running up and then leaping for a flying kick to the present point, where the students were already clearing up and going their way. Even Naruto had already left and the strange group composed of the 'average' male and the three beauties was already heading towards the gates while chatting.

For some reason, the glasses-wearing girl was looking really pale, but then again it wasn't Shizuku's problem.

How rude though, that blonde had really left without even saying any words of departure to her and Honoka, he had seriously preferred to give his attention to the other group while leaving the two of them as viewers. Maybe an elbow to the nuts would clear his head in more than one way…

But right now there really was nothing she could do. She would wait until tomorrow to teach him a lesson "Honoka, shall we be going too?" so she directed this question at her best friend, even if she wasn't really giving any choice to her. It was just a formality, whatever she answered Shizuku would have dragged her away anyway. The day had been so stressful and full of surprises to the point where she would reach the maximum point of blissfulness with a simple shower and by resting in her bed.

"…" Honoka didn't even deign her of a response.

…ah, it seemed she had to really drag her away. Perhaps she was still in shock for the display of physical prowess from Naruto? Or maybe still frozen in fear by his angry expression a while ago? The latter didn't appear as a good thing, therefore a decision to talk about it was definitely a splendid idea.

"It's him…" Breaking her silence, Honoka muttered these words with a grim expression, as if she had just seen her puppy getting ran over by a truck. She was standing on her spot without moving a centimeter, which was starting to considerably worry Shizuku.

"Eh?" It was the only decent response she was able to muster given the circumstances. Who was she referring to?

"During the entrance exam, there was a Magician able to use amazingly efficient and graceful Magic, without a single waste in Psions…" Her words were barely audible, but due to her closeness she was capable to somehow understand what she was saying.

Shizuku still didn't understand who she was talking about, so in an effort to comprehend her she followed the logical method and turned her head to see what Honoka was staring at.

A group of chatting student composed of three beauties and the 'normal', more precisely the 'normal'.

'Amazingly efficient and graceful Magic, uh…' Shizuku recalled what her rival commented about the skills of this 'average' Magician, and she was sure that her review had not been made lightly. Honoka wasn't the type to overestimate or underestimate anyone, especially regarding the Magic Power compartment. Her claims about the extremely strong interference strength Magic of Naruto were apparently correctly made, so Shizuku found no reason to doubt her.

She was oversensitive not only in her personality but even in the detection of the effectiveness of magic spells. Every Activation Sequence emitted a bright light which varied among all the users of Magic, but fundamentally everyone produced this light when rewriting the Eidos.

As always, generally the ones who couldn't use Magic misunderstood by believing that more light equalized to a major quality in the spell, but that was terribly wrong. This light was the remainder of the wasted Psions used. So without making any difficult explanation and going out of topic, the more skilled the Magician the less the light produced by the caster.

So, the statement meant that the student she categorized as average was so fine in his control to the point of not spilling and wasting a single Psion…

It was unconceivable, utterly impossible and outrageous.

But then again, she had never believed before that an Ancient Magic user could surpass the casting speed of the Modern Magic, and yet Naruto had proved her wrong.

Slowly, Shizuku was beginning to think outside the schemes and also getting more and more enthusiast about this new institute, First High School.

She had come with slim hopes in finding any Magician of her age worthy enough to rival her own abilities. She had desired to find at least one individual able to match her, but at the same time thought arrogantly that such a person didn't exist.

First Uzumaki Naruto, then the freshmen representative Shiba Miyuki, now this 'normal' student with an astounding control in his Activation Sequences…

It seemed there were more than enough individuals able to satisfy her desire to compete.

**XxX**

Being the Student Council President was a really hard position to be in:

There were many duties to fulfill and among them was paperwork in case the terminal didn't work, organizing the school's events, looking out for the students, and especially this 'Bloom' and 'Weed' matter.

Needless to say, it was all but enjoyable, appearing like a perfect way for a masochist to enjoy himself. But someone had to do the job and the responsibility usually fell on the laps of a student with great popularity since the leader of the council was elected by the student body's votes among the third years.

Also, it was a sort of tradition for the Student Council to invite the current representative of the first years in the group for the purpose of training him or her in becoming the successor two years later, in other words when he or she would be in the last year.

The freshmen representative of this year was a girl called Shiba Miyuki, a true gem with flawless perfection in body, mind and personality. This type of person was usually found only in a fictional work, but nobody could deny the reality of having seen her. Not that anyone wanted to refuse her existence, she radiated so much brilliance and beauty that even the most stoic individual would gawk at her for at least a second. Even Mayumi felt a little unsure of herself when she had seen her.

…well, that was beside the point. So according to the tradition, she had to be invited to the Student Council right away. It had to be done anyway so finishing the business when the opportunity had arisen would have been perfect.

"If you were going to call it off, there was at least one thing we could have done."

All of this led to this particular situation of hers.

"It couldn't be helped, they were busy."

Two students were discussing inside a room filled with many tables, disposed in way to clearly facilitate paperwork. Outside of it was a neat block of wood and written on it were four kanji meaning _'Student Council Office'_.

You didn't need a genius or any prodigious talent to understand.

In the office, a beautiful, petite girl with black hair was seated behind a large desk positioned in a way that indicated the leadership of who was behind it. She had her elbows supporting her on the surface of the desk, the fingers crossed while looking up to the other occupant of the room.

This one possessed a handsome face and brown hair, standing on his feet with his back straight and his arms behind, showing the respect and professionalism towards the girl in front of him.

President Saegusa Mayumi and Vice-President Hattori Gyobushoujo Hanzo, or Hattori Gyobu as he seemed to prefer, but no one really cared to remember anyway.

"At least we should have extended the invitation, don't you think so?" Hanzo suggested to his superior, even if they couldn't really do anything anymore due to having lost their chance some minutes ago.

If Mayumi could describe an aspect of Hanzo, it would be his preference in finishing work-related matters neatly and according to the schedule, without having any irregularities. _'If everyone did so, then avoiding troubles and unforeseen circumstances would be infinitely easier' _was what he had said some time ago, but sadly people always liked to do things differently and taking the easier road.

Also, it was probably more for the fact that his workload would lessen if the President actually took her work more seriously.

Mayumi too would have liked to get it done with it and just invite Shiba Miyuki to the group, but given the fact that many students had been staring at them and the situation could be hardly called appropriate, she had postponed the invitation to tomorrow. Much to the displeasure of her Vice-President due to his mentioned way of working.

"In the first place, you're the President of the Student Council of First High, so being a little forceful isn't something to frown upon. You should show a bit more of pride and avoid being pushed around! Listen, the students greatly admire you, so…" The only male in the room proceeded in a sort of lecture in order to regulate his leader, somehow breaking apart the pecking order. Wasn't she supposed to be the one at the top of the hierarchy?

Saegusa Mayumi was stoic on the outside, but inside she fervently wished to lash out at him for being such a pain. He clearly reserved respect and admiration for both her figure and ability, but sometime he would abandon all of it and acted like a babysitter to her.

Last year he had been much more formal and had possessed a professional behavior, he would have never dreamed to talk so brazenly to the President, though his discrimination against 'Weeds' had been much more pronounced and definitely harder to approach. When he had loosened up, it was easier to talk to him and the two had gradually become friends despite the age difference. Therefore, if he didn't end up again like last year, she was more than ready to take the blunt of his reprimand.

His words continued to hit her on all the sore spots, mentioning how she was at times irresponsible and forgot her duties such as re-reading document files and all the stuff related to work.

Ah…he sure was annoying. Wasn't there a middle choice between the respectful but arrogant Hattori Hanzo and the more likeable but dominant one? He changed this much thanks to the previous President of the Student Council, he had really done a good work both for the school and its members.

But this was getting on her nerves nonetheless. Despite this, she was not worried, for a trump card presented itself in her mischievous mind.

"Hanzo-kun~, did you know that _'his'_ little brother was there?" The question, or rather the challenge, was presented with a singing voice, but it no doubt held a trace of satisfaction and slyness. That was because Mayumi had the certainty that her ranting friend would close off his mouth in a single instant after hearing this.

The result of her phrase would be shocking to anyone who didn't know what she was talking about. The brown-haired 'Bloom', upon understanding her outrageous words, froze immediately and stopped his gesturing, halting his movements while in the middle of his lecture.

Mayumi was more than satisfied. Even if she obtained what she wanted, namely Hanzo shutting up, the desire born from the many times she had been lately reprimanded made her whisper out other statements to him.

"He was there the whole time, glaring at all the discriminatory Course 1 Students. You obviously know why. Back then, you were rather displeased because you didn't want to postpone the matter of the invitation, but I wonder if he misunderstood something~"

Each syllable, every sound and words that whispered out of her mouth sounded like the announcement of the King of Hell who was judging him for where he would put him in the Underworld.

No…surely even the cold Naraka Mahapadma, in which every part of your body was frozen to death, or the hot Naraka Avici, where you were boiled alive for so many years that seemed an eternity. Even these, which were considered the worst punishment possible in the Buddhist Hell called Naraka, were considered infinitely better if compared to the punishment inflicted by _'him'_.

Hattori Hanzo knew how much unruly and arrogant he had been in the past, more precisely at the beginning of his first year as a freshman. Well, he was a little arrogant even now, but that was natural due to the pride he felt as one of the best Magicians inside the school.

The previous President seemed like an individual with great authority, someone who wouldn't allow himself to be pushed around. That kind of aura usually repulsed people and instilled fear, but he also had possessed enough charisma to gather and attract talented students at him and form a great Student Council. And once you knew him thoroughly, he had been surprisingly fun and enjoyable.

Ah, but a particular trait of him had been that he didn't like…no, he had considerably disliked persons he described as _'those who disrupt peace'_.

Given the nature of his statement, that hadn't made much sense to the members of that year, so they had simply interpreted it as his annoyance for unruly people and that he wouldn't forgive those who broke _'peace'_ by not being respectful of their surroundings.

As a reminder, Hattori Hanzo knew that he was an unruly and arrogant person. Not a fundamentally bad guy, but someone containing a few bad traits. Even he would click his tongue in distaste whenever he remembered his previous behavior.

Apparently, his past mistreatment of Course 2 Students hadn't pleased the previous leader that much. When he had discovered it, his expression had seemed calm and peaceful, but the successive actions had completely destroyed that image and he soon had been feared by the student he had punished, Hanzo.

In other words, at that time the now Vice-President had fit exactly in the category of 'those who disrupt peace'.

The punishment he had endured…was a story for another time.

Back to the Student Council Office, Hattori Hanzo abandoned the hard tone he was using to scold his President for the way she worked.

Or rather, he couldn't talk even if he wanted to. Mayumi clearly meant the previous President with the word 'him', but she was just talking about his brother, so logically there wasn't any reason to provoke his current state.

Void of any previous dignity or pride, Hanzo was trembling and shaking every part of his body. His knees were weak, his legs felt like jelly, and every words of the Saegusa seemed to materialize a God of Death behind his back while holding a knife to his throat.

'Hisbrotherhisbrotherhisbrother…!' That was all he could think right now due to his panicked state. But was there even any reason to fear the brother of a person you were terrorized of? Sure, remembering the individual you dreaded was enough to break your composure, but there wasn't any insurance that the siblings would be similar.

'Hisbrotherhisbrotherhisbrotherhisbrotherhisbrother…!' Yes…that was right! There was the possibility, a high chance that 'his' brother would be a completely different person! Maybe he got along easily with others, didn't get angry with anyone and perhaps even respected human's rights! The 'Punishment' wasn't guaranteed, he didn't need to fear him!

Yes, he didn't need to lose his composure, there was no need! Getting along with the brother of the previous President wouldn't be a problem. As long as they both acted cordially and respectfully with each other, everything would be solved.

But he needed to know something about him, or either he could screw up all the conversation from the start and maybe, but only maybe some hidden trait would awaken and then…

…the 'Punishment'…

Hold yourself up, Hanzo Hattori! You have your pride as the current Vice-President of the Student Council of First High School! Think!

Now that he thought about it, when he had been still in charge, he would mention one or two things about his brother…

**XxX**

"_Aaah... we're never going to finish this!" A feminine voice loudly complained. Its owner, a younger Saegusa Mayumi resigned herself as her body lost all tension, resulting in her forehead meeting the surface of the table she was working on. _

_The room was occupied by three students: a guy with brown hair and a scowl on his face, a female with black hair and a tired expression, and lastly the one who looked older than anyone inside: a male student working on a wooden table at the center, signifying his position as the President of the Student Council._

_However, that was hardly the first thing you would notice upon entering…scratch that, you couldn't care less about the persons inside it. Instead you would be amazed or terrified by the sheer and impossible amounts of paper filling every centimeter of the office. _

_It didn't matter where. Tables, floor, chairs, even stuffed into bottles were mountains of documents needing revision and signature. And since they weren't sure whether or not some shady club or individual would present a dubious request that was made to harden their work, they had to revision every single document._

"_We have to read, control who is the one who presented the suggestion, write it on real paper and then control if there's any loophole, only doing that we can sign it! This would be so easier if we had the terminals!" Mayumi was now losing all the elegance and nobility she always carried with her composure. Instead of a student already at his second year of high school, it would be more correct to describe her as a child in kindergarten complaining about a broken toy._

_It was kind of understandable for anyone in this era. The term of 'writing at hand' was easily lost in the few decades as anyone had access to at least a terminal or portable computer. Having one would make the paperwork present here a joke._

_Indeed, why was there no sign of technology in here?_

_Crack. An ominous sound echoed in the room._

"_Ohoh? If I'm not mistaken, who was it that forgot to take care of the general documents handling while I was taking care of the documents for the Nine Schools Competition? Wasn't that you? And when was it that I made such a simple, mundane request? Mmh? Answer me." The tone used by the redhead seated behind a large desk was strangely amused and calm, so much that it could have easily deceived someone not used to such situations._

_But that wasn't the case for Mayumi. She glanced at the other occupant of the room, an arrogant underclassman who was staring at her in astonishment before shifting his eyes and quickly submerging himself in paperwork while ignoring a strange noise coming from the President's direction._

_Crack. Another sound came._

_Yeah, that was it. _

_Mayumi, on the other hand, moved her gaze to that direction and saw her President's hand clenching the desk's edge. He was doing so with such strength that he was causing splinters to form, deforming horribly the once neat and smooth surface of the expensive wood._

"_Well…? Answer me, Saegusa Mayumi. Who was it that forgot to take care of the small files, which then accumulated, and for how long?" The habit of the President to call everyone by full name once again showed itself, but that wasn't the important point. If she were to avoid the answer to his demand, dire consequences would appear. She had come to know that the first year in front of her, Hattori Hanzo, had become traumatized by something called 'Punishment'. Apparently, mentioning it in his range of hearing would cause his body to tremble uncontrollably, more so if it was the President doing it._

_So she had to say the truth, otherwise…_

"_I-it was my fault…I neglected it…for a month…" Mayumi's voice contained regret, both for the fact that she hadn't attained by her responsibilities and had to stay locked in the office for all day._

_It was more for the latter, anyway._

"_Mmm… good, you answered honestly. You're definitely not 'disrupting peace'." The hell did that even mean? This was another strange trait about him, he always talked about 'peace'. Moreover, he forgot to ask her the other question…_

_No! She had to be glad that it ended peacefully. His voice as he mused sounded relaxed and satisfied enough, so was there any need to jinx herself!? This usually ended badly!_

"_Oh…right." Her thoughts stopped when he again adopted a hard and cold tone of voice. She seriously jinxed herself… "When was it that we started working in this Unlimited Paper Works created by you?" This time it didn't even sound as a demand! It was accompanied by the hidden phrase 'dare to answer this'!_

_And there again, he made a reference to some manga or anime. She wasn't terribly interested in it, but apparently the President had a fervid interest in things he referred to as 'of the outside world'._

_Or maybe it was her memory failing itself. She wouldn't be surprised, she had even lost the cognition of time…Anyway! She had to answer… if she didn't answer she would end up even worse._

"_Ah…that is…t-two hours ago…" Yes, in only one-hundred twenty minutes, their physical and mental state had ended up as if they had run across a battlefield, maybe it was even worse._

_Never underestimate paperwork. A life lesson was learnt by Saegusa Mayumi, eldest daughter of the Saegusa Clan._

_As for the reason the terminals in the room were busted and broken beyond repair…_

"_And we can't use the computers because I forgot to call for assistance when you asked me to…" She decided to state the reason without him presenting the question. It was far better when compared to waiting for it and worsening his mood further._

"_Good, you didn't need me to ask anything. My compliments, you have been raised from the level of a monkey dancing in the grass field to a monkey." Well, his mood was already bad enough to the point that enraging him anymore would accomplish nothing. Usually he was pretty cordial and good-mannered, but when he was angry he did a complete reversal and changed to a sarcastic and rude attitude._

_Resigning herself to this fate, Mayumi returned to her duties._

_Shifting to another's point of view…_

_Meanwhile, hearing the exchange was the brown-haired student that looked on the verge of collapsing. He had been doing his fair share of work, both for a sense of responsibility and to avoid the anger of the President._

_Otherwise, the 'Punishment'…_

_No! Don't think about it! Calm your brain and body, Hattori Gyobu! Don't think about anything that could make you faint on the spot, don't remember it!_

_Inhale, expire...good._

_He was calm at this moment._

_Now, to continue the endless paperwork…_

_..._

…_forget it, he couldn't do it anymore, even the threat of violence from the President wasn't enough to motivate him any further. Even if he was tortured and given a slow death…! No, on second thought a quick and painless one would be infinitely better. To finish this torture at once._

_Right now, he was feeling completely tired, his knuckles seemed as if they were going to fall at any moment, the numb sensation was spreading even beyond his wrist and to his armpits. The human body wasn't supposed to work like that!_

_And along with that, he had experienced true hard work and most importantly, astonishment at the double face his upperclassman had showed during the time in this room._

_Not his President, the difference in attitude was the least concern he had for the one who carried that 'Punishment'…no, he was more surprised by the fact that the wonderful, polite, talented Saegusa Mayumi, which he respected greatly, had revealed herself capable to transform in a whiny, loud and forgetful girl who didn't appear to be fit for an important position in the Student Council in the short time they had both worked together._

_What was that about looking up at her and respecting her?_

…_ah, only bad things had happened while he was in the presence of the President. But he had to admit grudgingly that he had changed in a better individual in the short time he had been 'punished' by him. He found it easier to interact with his classmates, and even the ones he usually couldn't get along with now stopped to tense up when bumping into him._

_His feelings for the President were slightly different from the ones he had towards Saegusa Mayumi. Obviously he kind of feared his red-haired leader and didn't have certain…affections for him, but along with that he could openly admit that he held respect for him higher than anyone else in the school. _

_A while after they had met, he remembered how he had openly made fun of a Course 2 Student right in front of his eyes, earning him an expression to which he could only offer a weak, dragged grin, which wasn't received well._

_Ah, and then the 'Punishment'…_

_Wait! Forget all about that hell, even being forced unto a maiden of Yomi would be better…on second thought, neither of them were pleasing at all._

…_damn it, was he going crazy? The truth was that his senses were starting to fade away like a fulfilled ghost, but he was far from satisfied with his current life. Who knew paperwork could be so hard and strenuous?_

_Okay, he made up his mind. He was going to ask for a pause, the interval between two periods of time, in other words a way to survive all of this. He knew it could be dangerous…no, it was definitely dangerous. But the fact that he was starting to have hallucinations which he couldn't even remember mostly worried him, even Mayumi was starting to lose the coloring of her eyes, now somehow lifeless._

_But it was dangerous…despite so, he shouldn't have any complaint for a simple request such as this. After all, they were in this mess thanks to the irresponsibility of the Saegusa in this messy room, he did not present any fault! But given that his anger and mood were already to the bottom, and not in a good way, that was a dangerous move._

_Maybe if he were to ask kindly without looking as if he was licking his shoes, while catching him in a moment of calmness…_

"…_President, with all respect, could you allow me to prepare some tea for us?" Hanzo forwarded every word carefully and with the most respectful words, all the while without appearing as if he was begging for something. His leader never liked that, probably used to it since he was from a prestigious Magic Family._

_He waited...only a few seconds passed before the red-haired student raised his face from the desk just enough to look at him, and even then Hanzo felt a slight regret at what he had just done._

_He examined the President's expression before the daring question. He was slightly arrogant but no fool. His brows were more relaxed than before and his scowl disappeared, so could it be…_

"_Mm…yes, please do that. I would say to give nothing to Saegusa Mayumi, but since she is having hallucinations right now I'll allow a generous exception."  
>Phew…for now everything proceeded as planned…wait. Did he just say that the only female occupant in this room was seeing a mirage, an illusion?!<em>

_Indeed, Hanzo glanced to his side and the scene of his girl senpai writing while occasionally waving to an imaginary person in far distance greeted him, muttering words like 'farewell, my sister' or 'I'm going to that side'._

_Oi oi oi! That was too dangerous, wasn't this bordering on illegal activity?! There's a law that prevented that much work for a minor! Ah, wait, she was already eighteen… still, didn't something called 'human rights' exist?!  
>Damn it, he needed to be quick, otherwise Saegusa Mayumi was really going to cross the forbidden river that separated life and death. Having a death here wasn't going to help with the paperwork, or rather losing one helper would increase the burden on others.<em>

_Hanzo picked up the set of tea stored in a shelf, opening it slowly and with carefulness in order to avoid all the sheets of documents inside from spilling out and halt his advance. They were in need of revision, but nonetheless they were at least in order and categorized, so having them fall to the ground in chaos would condemn him to pick them up and divide them by alphabet, club and level of importance. If something like that were to happen, he would lose all strength and die on the spot._

_He took some time to open the shelf, but he made it. Some noise was produced, and he could literally feel the tension in the room rising, but he made his best in ignoring it._

_After that, he picked up the heater and poured with attention the green tea, not spilling even a single drop. The equipment was made of first quality, as expected of First High School, so differently from the rather old shelf which contained the set, this time no annoying or disturbing sound was heard in the office._

_Well, one could hear the tea filling the porcelain glasses, but that wasn't something to describe as 'bothering', quite another thing as it instead relaxed everyone who was working, even miraculously pulling the only girl present there from her dreaming state, for then beginning to confusedly look around her while scratching her head like a monkey. _

_Another gesture inappropriate for the image he had of her. Hanzo felt like his illusion got broken, the admiration he had held for her vanishing like morning fog._

_Back to the matter, he could sense that any awkwardness or tenseness was gone from the room, so this was perhaps his best chance to gain that pause. All or nothing, the ultimate gamble, the most dangerous one possible but also the only opening he could obtain before dying of tiredness._

"_President…could we get a small rest?!"_

…_damn it! He messed up and instead of using respectful words, he shouted out the question out suddenly and without doing it slowly! He had planned to ask it casually so to not make it seem as if he was desperate, which in fact he was!_

_Ughh…he could feel the glare on his back from the eyes of Mayumi. They probably reflected both anger and despair, asking why he had made such a rash move. They were accusing him as the culprit of their imminent death by work._

_Ah…the President wasn't saying anything and his face was low, thinking about it. Or probably he was trying to contain his rage and devise a new training regime for him. So this was the end…_

_Hattori awaited his sentence to death…_

"_Sure, why not?"_

_Ah, so he wanted to prolong his suffering by mentioning such lies? But he wouldn't fall for them, this was how he probably made his prey die in agony! To have it experience the joy and bliss of hope, and then snatch it away like a barbarian while enjoying the dynamic change in emotion to the dark despair…!_

"_I was getting tired anyway, bring that tea over here."_

_How long did he want to whisper such blatant lies?! Demon! Ah, what did he do for such a treatment…well he did have a lot people holding grudges to him, but he had become a different man! Therefore, for this reason, why…!_

"_I don't know what is passing in that head of yours and I'm not enthusiast in discovering it. Hattori Gyobushoujo Hanzo, take that damn pot of green tea and bring it here at once, now."_

…_wait, no joke? This was real? No prolonged suffering? Did he really allow the long awaited pause?!_

_In all his joy and happiness, Hattori Hanzo completely ignored the fact that he was called by full name, something which he despised and was embarrassed of, and made a weird ritual dance while holding the tray of tea like a professional waiter graduated from a specialized school._

_The President and Mayumi both watched with a mixture of amusement and horror, the former since seeing him lose all composure and abandon his pride was really fun given the arrogance he always showed, the latter for the same reason. He was arrogant, but peeling it off of him was really hard except for the President, and the scene unveiled before their eyes…_

_Had they been really that close to become delirious?_

…

_Some minutes later, the three students were each one on their respective seats, holding a composed posture worthy of some kind of noble, all the while sipping the green tea in a wonderful manner. _

_Opposed to the chaotic state of the room, all the atmosphere which had been misting inside before was now gone, as if dissipated. Even the occupants themselves were calm and with their senses regained to the normal and usual state. Therefore, they perfectly remembered the way they had been acting while irritated at all the paperwork._

_So yes, utterly embarrassed would be the perfect word for describing the emotion they felt at having their hidden side being seen by others._

_So a method to retrieve the lost honor would be only one: do nothing._

_Ignore completely what had happened in the few minutes that had passed. That hadn't been real, they had been just seeing and hearing things that didn't exist for real. _

_A whiny girl, a rude male and a dancing student in the student council room? That had never happened, that was just something that their mind made up as a way to cope with the stress generated from all the writing and reading._

_Yes, they convinced themselves of that. Talking and conversing as usual, as if nothing happened, was probably for the best._

_Mayumi was the one more affected by it, so she felt that as the most embarrassed and as the one who had got them in this mess, it was her role to introduce a light topic to talk about._

"_I'd like to know something, President…do you have any brother or sister?" Mayumi now acted courtly and flawlessly, a far cry from before. She put down her tea and introduced a rather normal question to her leader while using her hands to support her chin._

"_I agree with the question. You don't talk too much about yourself. Would you mind to share your knowledge with us?" This time it was Hanzo, who sent a distrustful look at Mayumi, not fooled by her mannerism, him too stopping from drinking anymore and sending an honest look of curiosity to the red-haired student. As he said, he didn't have too much information on the President, so wanting to know more about the one you respected was more than normal._

"_Siblings, you ask? He pushed away some documents occupying his desk to make space for his elbows, now resting on the wood while his crossed fingers held up his chin "Since you are the one who presented the question, why not you first Mayumi?" He redirected to his friend. _

_They knew each other for two whole years and interacted closely in that time, so it wouldn't be a stretch to call them intimate friends, enough so that she was more than comfortable in showing her mischievous side to him._

"_Mooou…don't think you can make me forget by changing the topic so quickly." Again, some of her noble composure was lost and she pouted like a child. She brought a finger to her cheek and started to tell "Well, I've two older half-brothers and two younger twin sisters, these two are called Kasumi-chan and Izumi-chan."_

"_Oooh… twin sisters, you say?" Both the males present mused, albeit with different words. The mood was really getting lighter, so they were thoroughly beginning to enjoy the conversation. The President allowed himself another sip of tea while looking pensive._

"_Yes! I'm really proud of both of them. They're younger than me but really talented in Magic." She chirped with a pleased tone, glad that he asked to elaborate on the twins._

_The red-head nodded a few times before turning his head at the other man in the messy office: "I see…and you, Hattory Gyobushoujo Hanzo?" _

'_Sigh…' Was what Hanzo wanted to lament, but he knew that the President would just shrug it off. Even so, he tried his best to ignore the jab at his rather strange name and replied anyway: "I'm registered as Hattori Gyobu in this school…"_

_They both just watched him with long stares, acting as if his words were never pronounced, so what he did was rather useless. And he even knew it…_

_Another sigh…he sure had many of them today. Well, he had to answer sooner or later, otherwise an awkward silence would fall on them once again. He didn't want to restart so soon._

"_Unfortunately, I'm different. I'm an only child, so there's no sibling I can brag about." He was making an obvious remark to Mayumi's earlier boast, but didn't attach anything offensive to it so she didn't get angry or anything else like that. Though both she and the President frowned, looking at him with a clearly dissatisfied expression painted on their face._

"_W-what?" This made Hanzo rather uncomfortable, shifting on his seat as if feeling an annoying scratch he couldn't reach._

"_Really, I expected a more interesting answer. So in the end you're just a Hanzo."_

"_Wha…!" Did they just insult him derogatorily while using his name as if it was the species of some animal?! "I'm not s-some kind of animal!" He yelled out with frustration evident in his tone._

"_Mmm…but humans are just animals in the end so…"_

"_That's not the point!" A faint blush of embarrassment was coloring his visage as he then realized that he was getting dragged into his pace. Coughing slightly, he calmed down and stopped. _

_He wasn't afraid of voicing out his opinions, after all pride would always be a main trait of his character, and even the President wouldn't just start to 'punish' him for confronting him. He just did so when someone would act in a clearly wrong manner and behaved all high and mighty without reason._

_Meanwhile Mayumi was watching their exchange amusedly. Really, when she had heard that Hattori Hanzo was getting whipped by her friend she had expected a more master-slave relationship, with the brown-haired male being constantly afraid of the President. But seeing then now contradicted all of her previous speculations, Hanzo-kun seemed to be rather light-hearted and easy to rile up._

_Maybe she was going to give him a chance to clear his reputation and become friend with her. Not to mention that he would be really easy to tease, relieving all the stress…_

"_Ah." With a startled look, as if noticing something, the President turned around and admired the orange and red sky spreading out outside. It was an extremely beautiful view, but they hadn't been able to enjoy it due to being so absorbed in their job "It's already this late…I guess we can go home today. Let's continue tomorrow, and the day after, and the weekend…"_

"…"

"…"

"…_try to gather as many people you can, at least bring one with you. At this rate we'll never finish this. You're allowed to deceive them as you like, I grant you any authority possible." Indeed, the amount of paperwork crushing the entire room was bordering on criminal, wasn't there a limit to the endurance of a human being? They weren't resurrected as zombies by some random necromancer, even with Magic that wasn't possible._

"_Then I'll convince Kirihara to lend me some help. I'll trap him in the room somehow." Hanzo agreed with full respect, completely disregarding the fact that he was condemning a friend to the same fate of overwork he had fully experienced. He felt only a slight regret but it was overwritten by the reality that if they didn't have any help tomorrow, all of this would repeat itself._

"_Mm, I'll blackmail-ehem, I mean convince Mari-chan and Rin-chan in it, but…" Her tone clearly meant that she wanted to add something to say "are you sure you aren't forgetting anything, President of the Student Council?" She asked, or more than that dared with an irritated undertone in her voice._

"_Ohoh, I'm sure the stress is just getting to your head, Mayumi. I'll get you some fresh water later, so let's go." He immediately caught the hidden meaning in her challenging words, so he automatically tried to avoid the topic by presenting a rather logical theory given that earlier they were on the verge of collapsing._

_Before he could take a step towards the exit, a rather soft hand and small hand grabbed his wrist, as if trying desperately to not let him go away. And in fact it was like that._

_The red-haired student turned around and the scene of a rather sheepish-looking Mayumi unveiled before his eyes. She was fidgeting a little and appeared as if she was just regretting her action, even so her grip remained strong and didn't let him move._

_Well, he was sure he could easily get out of it with physical strength alone, by breaking her fingers or something else, but the situation wasn't so serious as to require that._

"_President…" She delivered with a whisper and a troubled expression "I don't like it. You never tell anything about yourself. If this continues, we'll be friends only in appearance. I…don't want that…" After her justification, she weakened her grip and just stared at the ground, looking as if she was going to cry at any moment._

_Was this even the real Mayumi? He briefly wondered if it was her mischievous attitude acting here. The President had never seen this side of her, and honestly it was creeping him out a little, but he was nonetheless touched by her words._

_He glanced around and noticed that Hanzo was just watching from the sidelines, looking like he didn't want to interrupt this rather private moment, though he could perceive the slightly accusing glint in his eyes that were practically telling him 'you made a girl cry, do something about it'._

…_damn, now he felt like the bad guy. _

_Perhaps this was Mayumi just faking it? But then again, what she said was true. He listened to her problems, but the contrary never happened. Not once did he confide in her, rely on her or talk about his own private matters._

_It wasn't as if he had some kind of obligation in doing it, but…she was his friend after all. Even if it meant breaking the rather secretive creed of his Clan by revealing information on its members, it couldn't be that bad…_

"_Sigh." With a rather loud exhalation, the President scratched his head with a guilty expression and gave up "I got it, so don't start to cry or spread rumors about me."_

_In the instant he muttered these words the black-haired girl, who was shaking in sadness and looking downcast just a second ago, completely recovered from her apparent depression and her face brightened up as if nothing had happened._

_So she was faking it? But then again, how did she redden her eyes as if she wasn't really crying?_

…_mm, no use thinking about it, he should just tell them about those two and quickly go to the temple. Yakumo-sensei was surely tortur-training his students._

_Also, perhaps he did have the need of letting off some steam and unloading all this stuff he kept inside. Both Mayumi and Hanzo were students he could define as 'cute kouhai' that just instigated in him the desire of taking care of them, but he had no doubt that he viewed the two as close friends too._

"_Let's see…" The President started, catching the full attention of his underclassmen "I have one sister and one brother. They're both younger than me, my sister is seventeen and my brother is fifteen, almost sixteen."_

_Mayumi just mused at his explanation, trying unsuccessfully to make her tone sound bored, but the truth was that she was extremely interested. Also, she could really envision the President as a big brother: he had that kind of aura around him that made you feel at ease._

_Yet, his voice was uncomfortable, so it was making her suspect that something happened to the point of him not being willing in talking about it. Despite that, she wanted to know more about him, otherwise she thought that they had no real connection to speak of. She would apologize later, but right now she only aimed to know more about him, even something trivial._

_She pressed him with her eager gaze, earning a sigh from the older amongst them._

"_Karin and Naruto, these are theirs names." He made a pause to see if anyone was laughing at his little brother's name, but seeing that they were at least making an attempt to stifle a little laughter at it, he would just close an eye this time. After all naming someone Naruto wasn't pretty normal "Anyway they're the complete opposite of each other. Karin is a shut-in who barely interacts with anyone while Naruto is an unruly kid who gets strange mood swings, at times he is cheerful for then reverting to a cynic state! During the latter, he can be far scarier than anyone else…"_

_He said all of this with a really light undertone, as if talking about some joke he dug out on the moment, but his tone still contained sadness and regret in it. Mayumi was quickly growing embarrassed of herself, her expression troubled._

"_I…didn't want to talk about this because we don't have a particularly good relationship. I never tried to help my sister Karin with her problems, while in the past I mistreated Naruto. I wouldn't be surprised if they were to hate me, even now our relationship is a little distant." His face held regret for his past actions, and remembering all of it made it so that he could only smile sadly in a way to mock himself and his past._

"…"

"…"

_Both Mayumi and Hanzo said nothing, their expressions were completely blank and their eyes holding a serious glint. _

_With a sigh, the President finished his explanation. It wasn't something that particularly lifted up your mood, so the cheerful atmosphere was fading away from the messy room and he could only feel the hard stares that they were sending him. _

_He felt that he shouldn't be surprised. After all he just revealed that their senpai wasn't even able to take care of his own siblings. They must be disillusioned and disappointed in him, probably they wouldn't have even an ounce of compassion, no that he deserved it…_

"_That's…!" _

_And now for sure they had no desire to associate with him, so it was for the best to keep a professional relationship and carry forward-_

"_That is so sad!"_

…_ah, what?_

"_President!" Mayumi rushed like a mad beast to him and grabbed both of his hands, giving him a reassuring grip and a moved expression "I'm sorry! I wanted to know more and yet…! I didn't even think of your own feelings! That was terribly wrong of me, I can't even plead you for forgiveness!" _

_Uwaaa…she was acting totally out of character, was this some sort of comedy duo? Moreover, her character trait was that of a 'big sister' type, so abandoning that was as if discarding her own self. He didn't know if he had to be astonished at the sudden change or moved at her compassion for him._

"_S-sniff…me too, President! I misunderstood you, all people have their own problems and you are no exception!" Talking about Hanzo…he was crying comical tears and acting all of sudden like an understanding friend. This was getting really out of hand, as Hanzo never acted like that._

"_Please punish us for our rudeness!" They both bowed respectfully in a yakuza manner, as if having committed an extremely unforgivable act, pleading for a punishment from him. This wasn't good, if someone were to suddenly enter in the room, it would be the biggest misunderstanding of his existence and likely lead to undesirable happenings._

_He had to diffuse the situation. With the resolve in his mind, he shook his hands to calm them: "L-look, there is no need to do this, so…"_

"_No, please we insist!"_

"_As I said…"_

"_Please!"_

"_I told-"_

"_Anything!"_

"…_I'm starting to lose my pat-!"_

"'_Punish' me!" This time it was only Hanzo to talk, as Mayumi was already blushing in embarrassment at how they acted and returned to her senses,_

_But the brown-haired male…he got caught up in the pace and wasn't reflecting properly on his words, so he noticed too late about the outrageous word he yelled: "Ah! I-I mean…!"_

_Meanwhile, the President initially considered that as a way to put an end to their begging for 'forgiveness', but due to his juniors being so annoying and the male one wishing 'it' that much, as a responsible senior he could only agree to his desire: "As you wish."_

_Getting up from his desk, he slowly walked forward, Mayumi looking away as if abandoning a comrade to die while Hanzo' jaw kept dropping to reveal a horrified expression._

"_WAI-!"_

**XxX**

...ah, well, he recalled a lot on unnecessary memories, didn't he only need to remember what he had said about his brother?

He had mentioned that his brother could be at times scarier than him…honestly, for Hanzo nothing could be more terrifying than being dragged in a mountain not registered in any world map and being on the receiving end of unspeakable tortures.

That was for sure a troubling thing, but Hanzo was surprisingly not scared. Because in all the time he had known the previous President, he had understood at least a particular trait of him, something that conflicted with the hard and charismatic image he had always carried with him.

He was, unbelievably, a prankster.

No, maybe a more accurate term would be 'an individual that relished on the suffering of others', and since a prank could potentially ruin an individual's day, the word 'prankster' could fit at least partially, even if it wasn't the correct term.

So, by resuming it in a single word, the previous President was a sadist. Despite so, he had never done something as childish as painting the wall of the institute with permanent paint, for sake he had been the President.

Whenever he had had one of his sadistic fits, his methods were way crueler. One could remain vastly astonished by the number of procedures that could inflict pain to the human body.

Naturally, in the past Hanzo had cultivated his doubts each time he had discovered a façade of the personality from that red-head, wondering if it had been safe to place such a dangerous student as the leader of a grand part of the next Magicians of this country.

The President of the Student Council had to be a Magician that, above the fact of possessing exceptional abilities, was charismatic enough to compel all of the students to agree in choosing him as their lead. Stating that the previous President had ruled with a bit of fear wasn't too farfetched, it was the blatant truth.

However all these questions and worries were always dispelled whenever the current Vice-President thought about how many talented Magicians the previous President had gathered under him, despite they coming to know his many negative traits and fits.

That just demonstrated how the innate talent referred as charisma wasn't simply a skill you could pick up along the road, and you didn't even have to hone it or apply it at all. People were just drawn in by such individuals.

Also, Hanzo Hattori would never forget. Despite how much he hated being an arrogant person and deserving the wrath of the red-head, many of the current third and second years of this time had been undeniably helped by him in some ways and had been inspired to do their best in the same manner.

For better or worse, since Hanzo held no hesitation in thinking that Mayumi had definitely become more and more mischievous for each second she had spent in the previous President's presence. It was definitely a trait everyone could manage without.

Hanzo too was thankful. He didn't know what kind of person he would have become if the previous President had never entered in his life, and frankly he didn't relish in the idea.

It wasn't fear anymore that blocked him from exercising an elitist view on Course 2 Students. At first it was like that but slowly he had come to accept it. Was there even any meaning to that? Just as there were people better at studying, there were the ones who had a knack for physical activities like sport. People didn't mock each other for their votes in a test, so there was no justification for the actions of arrogant Course 1 Students.

Did Magic really change into such an important aspect of society, to the point of leading the mind of people into thinking that this discrimination was a natural course of action?  
>Thanks to the previous President, he had abandoned this mindset and his arrogance now steamed from his skills as an accomplished Magic Technician, not for being a chosen 'Bloom' and he would neither bully his fellow students that belonged to the Course 2.<p>

He was a close friend to some of the Student Council members and among them was Saegusa Mayumi. The relationship had been at time slightly embarrassing since usually a more professional one would be more comfortable and due to her being older, but that had resolved itself once he had discovered the surprising compatibility between them. So it was more than natural that he understood how she wanted to repair the social rupture that ruthlessly divided the student of their school into two divisions.

'_At least I have to do something useful during my term'_ was probably what his female friend had in mind of lately. After all she was the current President of the Student Council, so desiring the improvement of the institute was praiseworthy and expected from her status.

A strangely surprising coincidence was that all the actual members weren't particularly approving of the system that the school adopted in regard to the courses. Maybe it was thanks to the previous President, in the year in which his term had taken place he had sort of forced dread on many students regarding their acts of looking down to 'Weeds'.

But that was no good. If he could be described as some sort of ruler, instead of a lawful and accepting king, he had actually fit accurately into the role of a tyrant who forced rightful laws. But now that the 'dictator' disappeared, the Course 1 Students who had been subdued from him now could do as they liked with their discrimination against Course 2 Students.

Mayumi was suited to be a leader, in fact there was probably no one in this school who could be said to have as much popularity as her, thus it was only right that she had won the elections. Despite that, she wasn't exactly the type of person that could enforce others to do her bidding like the previous President. It was more of matter of personality than anything else.

And yet, she wanted to do all she could, even the smallest act possible to change this rotten system called Bloom/Weed.

Had Hanzo been the same person as one year ago, he wouldn't have thoroughly opposed this ideal due to the position they were both in, but surely in his mind he would have stood on the discriminatory side.

He shuddered at the thought. Truly, that would have been something he couldn't accept. Standing on the ignorant faction of this pointless debate about who was better in Magic...

He really was glad that the previous President had opened his eyes, or had more like literally beaten his head, to see and think with his own brain instead of being washed away and led by the current mindset of Magic Power superiority.

Uzumaki Nagato, he respected and owed that man too much.

**XxX**

Night had already descended on the area, evident from the dark sky and the shining, full moon occupying its vastness. All clouds were parted away and allowed a clear view of the white satellite, which was the only source of light in the space welcoming a certain temple.

Naruto walked with a tired look on the steep path leading to the entrance, his face clearly indicating the expression of someone who had gotten involved into something extremely unpleasant.

Well, for the blonde here the bad experiences were more than one, easily entering into the classification of 'many'.

Truly, when Yugito-nee had told him that the outside world was more than people usually let on and could be potentially dangerous, he really hadn't given it much thought and gad simply dismissed it off as the unneeded worry that she always displayed for her team members.

"She resembles a cat, so I wonder if that has something do with it…" Despite muttering these somehow belittling thoughts about her, he would never dare to say that face-to-face in front of her. 'Big sister' type women had the maximum potential in regard to the death glare ability they could gain, so saying something outrageous such as 'you're like a cat' and then making any stereotypes about her simply because she looked like one…that would certainly be a death flag.

Back to the matter…Naruto didn't put too much faith into the carefulness always shown by Yugito, after all how much of a threat could the ordinary people from the outside represent? She was really too careful sometimes…like a cat.

Though, the whiskered blonde would admit that he had made a…slight error in judging his also blonde friend. Usually he would have reached the temple in less that fifteen minutes, but he had been held back by some unexpected circumstances.

He had entered a district of the city dedicated to the acquisition of everyday goods, in other words the shopping area. People there were certainly lively, going around chatting and buying all sort of stuff. He had made a stop there to observe some of the technology he had never found in other countries or at the main house, so he had spent some time there. Nevertheless, that shouldn't have taken too much from him, and yet he arrived at the temple at this hour, already in the deep of the night.

When he had been ready to leave, some weird old lady had suddenly approached him with a strange and ominous glint in her eyes. Despite the fact that his instincts had been screaming at him to get away, he wasn't the kind of person to make assumptions on others without having a profound knowledge about them, so like a good-mannered student he had stopped to hear her out.

What a foolish decision.

The moment he had halted his steps, he had felt the sensation associated with the lion being caught from a large group of gazelles in a corner. The lion was obviously stronger, but the number represented a difference and the king was slaughtered.

So yes, it was that kind of helpless feeling. When the old lady had seen him falling right into her trap, she had immediately began to present him random offers about terminals, foods, furniture, hell even a HAR, which was basically a robot maid.

At first she had been less persistent and simply offered him goods which maybe could have interested others, but that the blonde didn't quite know what to use for. And then her insistence had only grown every step he had taken toward the exit of the district. Clearly she had been desperate, as she had even made a proposal about covering with a dubious brand of cosmetics the 'hideous scars' that extended on both his cheeks.

Needless to say, Naruto hadn't quite appreciated it and the moment she had ticked him off while insulting his whiskers, he had excused himself from the scene to no longer bear that annoying woman, only for her to pursue him again and again.

It seemed that the action or inaction of not lashing out and shooing rudely the woman away had appeared as a sort of beacon to the other vendors, who had instantly chased him in a manner similar to a hungry leech. They had crowded him and made an attempt of trapping him like an animal, an example of the gazelles and lion situation mentioned before.

Obviously they could only try, as the superior physical ability of the blonde had granted him an early opening in the mass of sellers, from which he didn't hesitate to use for his escape. They had somehow wrongly thought that he was Magicians given the speed at which he had travelled, and Naruto wasn't sure but he could swear that he had heard them calling him with not so nice derogatory names such as 'human weapon' or 'android faking as a human'.

Talk about being harsh. They had really made a turnaround there after learning his identity. At least they would stop bothering him.

Still…the outside world was truly a terrifying one. Enemies jumping at you at any moment, and despite being an easy task to have them lose your track, you couldn't help but think how their number could easily border on the hundreds given the vastness of the shopping district.

Naruto remembered the malicious and shuddering shine he had seen on the eyes of those sellers, the hungry desperation which had convinced them that they had to sell him even only the cheapest item on their list. While creepy and disturbing, the more time he had passed with them clinging at him and the more he had felt the craving of inflicting pain on them, preferably a practice involving torture on the body.

Yet, it appeared that in here you couldn't just inflict violence upon the ones who annoyed you, even criminals were given simply a penalty in the form of money or prison, instead of simply executing them. Even then something called a jury was held and directed by the judge, who carried the sentence and decided what to do about the criminal.

…mm, how complicated, couldn't they just kill him and be done with it? The guys on the outside just made the matter more confusing by doing all the formalities. If the guilty had done a crime so unforgivable to the point where they decided to relegate him in prison for life, it would be a mercy to end his life. Grandmother had told him that the outsiders liked to maintain an innocent façade while acting despicable, was this what she had meant?

…well, he could worry about it later. Right now, he was more preoccupied in not shivering slightly while ascending the stairs. Not for the cold air brushing on his skin, even if it was already spring, but since it was late at night the temperature was somehow understandable.

The forest surrounding the stairs leading to the temple's gate scared him. It was just giving him the wrong vibes, as if something was lurking around in the trees, just readying to strike at him when he wouldn't expect it.

'Maybe it's…a ghost…' It wasn't as if he had a profound and irrational fear of ghosts! The only problem was that he lacked the courage to face one! Yes, the issue wasn't about him, it wasn't his fault! Also, ghosts were immaterial, so no amount of skill and power could allow you to defeat them! His reasoning wasn't without foundation! And…!

His thoughts were interrupted when something hard yet soft came at him and impacted the side of his head. Accompanied by a loud noise, the blow sent Naruto, who was too entrapped in his mind and therefore caught off guard, flying to the trunk of a tree at high speed.

Crash!

With an obvious sound following, his body received more damage due to the second impact on the hard wood.

Needless to say, it hurt like hell. His head was spinning and he was quickly losing the sense of balance, having trouble in getting up on his two feet. Also, he felt something warm running down his temple, hearing dropping sounds. You didn't need a genius to understand the depth of the injury.

Even so, it would quickly solve itself, so he didn't need to focus on the small wound on his head. More importantly, the one who dared to attack him, who was it?

Again, it didn't take a genius for Naruto to understand the identity of the idiot who just hit him on the head hard enough that it could have potentially killed someone and gifted them a one-way ticket to the afterlife.

The temple on the top of the staircase, despite being called so, didn't grant divine protection in exchange of prayers to anyone and was officially abandoned, so no visitors, especially this late at night could attack him and they didn't even have a reason to. Maybe a hobo held a grudge against him, but the blonde had no record in his memory of ever picking on a homeless man. Moreover, he highly doubted that one had the fighting skill to even touch him, no matter how lucky he was.

So, that only left the poor guys who had no money or connections and were forced to take refuge in the poor excuse of a building atop these stairs. The disciples of the owner were certainly skilled, that much he could say about them, but even then they wouldn't be able to hide so perfectly from him.

"Naruto-kun, it's no good to lower your guard. As a Shinobi, you have to keep your eyes everywhere!"

Then, the only possibility remaining was the bald, thirty years old, poor and perverted master of the decadent house of god.

Coincidentally, in the same direction from where the blow came from stood a man wearing a monk's robe, with no hair on his head to speak of and a scar descending vertically on his left eye. His right leg was raised in the air, about at the same place where Naruto was standing earlier before crashing ten meters forward.

Actually, it was no coincidence. There were enough proofs to state that this suspicious character was the perpetrator behind the blow, probably a kick judging by his position.

Naruto, who was already standing with a perfectly calm composure, had the appearance of someone who wasn't just kicked on the head and sent with great force to a tree ten meters distant. Still, his previously white and clean uniform now was covered with dirt, a clear result of the attack inflicted on him, and while patting his pants in a vain attempt to clear off the dust, his annoyed expression was enough to tell that he wasn't all that amused by the chirpy tone of the monk.

Blood marred his features and one could instantly assume that he had just washed his face in blood judging by the staggering amount of it. Even so, you usually associated blood with a deep wound, and yet there was not a single scratch on him.

"Just because I have enhanced regeneration, that doesn't mean you can just kick me as you please...also, look!" The angry blonde pointed at his right shoulder, where a rather large stain of dark red was spreading on the cloth "You know perfectly that injuries on the head spill an absurd amount of blood, and yet!" Wiping his right cheek, he wasn't all surprised to find more of the red liquid flowing down and staining more and more his attire.

"Oh? Usually you don't mind too much about such a mundane wound." The bald monk just returned the outraged exclamation with a curious statement of his own. He adopted a normal posture and grabbed his chin with his fingers in a scrutinizing manner.

"Yakumo-sensei, it isn't about the wound, it's the uniform! It's super white, do you expect for someone to not notice this big ass spot?! You know that our Magic isn't exactly a kind of detergent, right?!" Not giving any worry about all the red fluid that was continuously spilling down his chin in great quantity, Naruto preferred to rightly take out his frustration on the one who was to blame about this matter.

The more the whiskered blonde vented out, the more Yakumo seemed to think about his action and regret them. Maybe he had gone too far, hitting him on somewhere else would have been perhaps a better option.

"W-well…it was you fault for not being vigil enough to counterattack…" Whistling not so innocently, he refused to take responsibility, which was sad on its own given he was an adult and instead preferred to act like a kid caught stealing candies by putting his hands behind his head, looking away to avoid the glare of the victim "A Shinobi has to keep his eyes open…"

Did he just tell him that?! How could he avoid his blow when it was so dark that even the moonlight didn't help?! Weren't his expectations too demanding?! Also, about his second excuse.

"You don't have the right to lecture me about that! You always keep your eyes closed like some kind of molester!" Naruto insulted the bald man while closing the distance between them to have his words reach him more effectively, now pushing his forehead against his: "You damn molester!"

"Oi! You didn't have to say it twice!" He seemed more hurt by the fact that it was said twice, not even raising a defense or justification in front of being called a sexual harasser. It wasn't that far from the truth, he enjoyed harassing a certain genius little sister while the average big brother was too concentrated in beating up his decoys…eh, students. Yes, students!

The two weren't still done and their irritation wasn't doused yet. They kept applying strength to their legs to increase the force of their push, their foreheads grinding against each other and unbelievably creating some sparks.

After what seemed like minutes, both finished their childish quarrel and returned to a position which allowed for a civil conversation to occur.

A silence settled between them. It was pretty embarrassing to start to argue all of sudden, even if the fault belonged entirely to Yakumo. At least he had showed some kind of regret at what he had done since he kept eyeing Naruto's temple in the spot where the wound was previously at.

'Not that I need to worry, unless it's instantly fatal then this guys is basically immortal…'

Scratching his cheek sheepishly, he made a motion to go up the stairs while initiating a new conversation: "Mm… I'm a little sorry for that anyway, maybe Miyuki-kun will be nice enough to do something for you."

Naruto could feel that the excuse was somehow half-assed, but didn't really pursue it any further, lest their verbal fight would prolong itself for hours. He even decided to ignore the part where he was just a little sorry, instead directing a blank look at the monk. He should be used to eccentricity, but that didn't seem an option as sometime he was caught off guard in random moments.

Well, the blonde wasn't at fault, even the members of the Clan who knew Yakumo-sensei for much more longer than him were still uncomfortable in his presence despite the fact that his weirdness was a well-known fact.

"Oh, well." That was the only complaint he could muster. The wound had already patched itself up thanks to the particularities in his bloodline, though Grandmother had told him that even for an Uzumaki his healing factor was extremely abnormal, perhaps the result of countless generations.

Yes, it was pretty useful to have a super regeneration at hand whenever you had some kind of annoying scratch that brought discomfort even it wasn't fatal. But, um…he had heard a phrase somewhere…with great power comes great responsibility? Or something like that, but Naruto had to be careful anyway to not show something like this to any of the outsiders, except if he had a desire to get targeted from Magic researchers or mad scientists, but that wasn't currently on his list of 'things I want to do'.

He was well aware of how the Magic Institutes could go over the line in researching new applications for Magic, bordering on a cruel and completely immoral zone when pushed far enough. Even without doing that, they could act distastefully without receiving any repercussions about the matter.

Perhaps an example would be a certain Magic Institute that had tricked users of a certain brand of Magic with certain lies, and then threw them away once their usefulness meter reached zero.

'Shameless thieves' was one of the many insults that he had prepared in case he was going to personally met one member of that Clan using a stolen spell.

Anyway, returning to his conversation with Yakumo-sensei. He had said something about at least fixing the damage he had done to his clothes. Now that he wasn't pissed about them, he could give a more detailed glance at the once completely white uniform: the blood had expanded through the refined fabric, resembling a sponge that had absorbed water continuously. Since the wound had already closed, naturally no more blood was dripping everywhere, but that was hardly a comfort for Naruto as right now he seriously looked like a murderer having just killed the unlucky victim. At least a third of the cloth was already of a deep red, and the liquid was in some parts splattered in a not that reassuring way. The blonde was quietly praising whatever god had the role of guarding his well-being. Despite not doing an admirable job most of the time, at least it had the decency of not having some passerby near here to report him to the police.

That would have been troublesome. Wiping the memory of someone wasn't his specialty.

"Sensei, by the way…" Clearing his mind from these thoughts, Naruto sought a method to relax himself, but this forest was giving him the creeps, so against the odds he attempted to continue his talk with the bald man, even if he should know better.

"Mm, you want to talk about my cute disciple?" Yakumo hummed without even hearing the blonde out, the words coming out without a trace of hesitation.

…as expected, this guy really fit the description of Shinobi, skilled in all the needed arts for the trade. There were five other topics that Naruto could have wanted to introduce, but he somehow understood which one he was interested in and without any hint of doubt.

Or maybe it was him that was too predictable?

And what did he mean by 'cute' disciple? He was really a creepy guy, in almost every sense.

"Spot on. I met him, anyway. It wasn't even that difficult, the students around him kept gossiping about an 'unusual' pair of siblings. Just like you said, a siscon and a brocon." With a slow nod, Naruto didn't deny the question and affirmed. In truth, he had approached Tatsuya after having already noticed him sporting a confused expression while his sister, who he didn't know was Miyuki since brother and sister didn't resemble each other at all, had been holding her cheeks while going right and left.

"Ahah, didn't I tell you? Shiba Tatsuya, the over-protective 'Onii-sama' who will do anything to guard Shiba Miyuki, the sister with a serious brother complex who has problems in defending her brother's non-existent pride!" Laughing out loudly, the blonde winched slightly at how noisy Yakumo's voice echoed. They were already at the top of the stairs and were standing in front of the temple of his property.

It was true that Naruto didn't relinquish an occasion to remind himself about how in reality this place was bad kept, but at least the appearance on the outside was well done. Despite the moon not being covered by any clouds, this did nothing in helping illuminating the vast territory covering the area, but he was able to see anyway that the wood with which the pillars and hallways surrounding them were composed of wasn't splintered or falling apart.

Now that he thought about it, he had never given a good look around here. Perhaps his judgment was biased because it was only his room the one which was stinky, dirty and a spawning point for every type of insect?

...he had to do something about that. He had an inkling feeling that his room was purposefully ruined by the head monk near him, as a childish prank of his.

Naruto gave more thought to what his fellow Shinobi just said. The Shiba siblings were indeed more affectionate than necessary with each other. It wasn't exactly his business, but since he planned in befriending them he dearly hoped that they weren't going to cross a forbidden line and venture in the incest area. The only problem was that the public would surely refute such a taboo.

Che, these guys…so it was fine to experiment on young people and ruthlessly research military strength to the point of allowing teenagers to practice their fancy superpowers, but it wasn't fine to close an eye in front of certain things? Talk about hypocrisy.

Naruto was going to use Yakumo-sensei's words as a reference point. For all the duration of time in which he had been in the presence of Tatsuya, that guy had been unbelievably hard to read. That and he had barely felt any fluctuations in his mind or any strong emotion.

To not misunderstand, it wasn't as if he was some kind of robot tasked to protect someone, otherwise it would have been rather terrifying. What the blonde meant was that Tatsuya showed surprise or annoyance, despite so these were toned down to an extreme and barely perceivable. Hell, if he didn't use actively use his special ability to read emotions, probably the guy could have been a blank board from his point of view. Naruto's ability was weak and less than average, but it was usually enough to get a solid grasp on people's mental state.

Shiba Miyuki, the representative of the freshmen of this year, on the other hand…

"Yeah, I know. I can't say for Tatsuya, but the sister doesn't put any effort in hiding her feelings. On the outside she appears all nice and polite, but her mind is a storm. I had to cut off the connection as soon as I could lest I wanted to get an headache for the remaining week. It really was a bad experience, seriously…" Naruto muttered with a tired tone at remembering that particular event, doing nothing to hide his displeasure. He did it deliberately to catch the attention of Yakumo, so as expected the monk sent a side glance at him with a questioning glint in his eyes.

"A storm, you say…"

He appeared serious for a moment, a deep expression taking the place of his usual goofy face. It was as if he was reminiscing about something.

"…pff, ahahahah! That's an almost perfect description! Perhaps the term 'frozen tundra' would fit her personality better?" But even so, the 'Bloom' didn't really have any hope at receiving a serious response from the bald man. Unless it was a pressing matter, this guy was probably only going to laugh at his misfortune, so it was all useless.

"Tsk, fuck you. Anyway, the point is that she blatantly glared at me all the time until I mentioned your name. Even then, that 'hate' I felt from her didn't exactly vanish, but it was more like she bottled it up with other negative stuff."

When he finished his words with an irritated undertone, a rare occurrence happened.

Kokonoe Yakumo dropped his cheery attitude, not as a way to tease Naruto for then burst out in laughter. No, this time he was really in austere mode. Probably something in Naruto's words picked his interest, so the blonde knew better and grew silent, waiting.

He wasn't going to use his abilities to have a read on the other Shinobi's mind. It was outright rude and ill-mannered, nobody was exactly keen on having his brain read by someone, no matter how close you knew that person. Naruto used that ability only in two cases and even then not always: when meeting a person for the first time in order to gauge that individual's true nature and avoid any incidents, or in time of extreme need, when the situation clearly required his useful skill and he barely had time for such matters like morality.

Also, if he tried to perceive anything, there was a high probability that he would be caught by Yakumo, so doing such an action was hardly on his mind. It didn't matter how much of an hassle it was, there was no mistake in the fact that this 'Practitioner of Austerities' was indeed a strong user of Ancient Magic, so getting on his bad side without any important objective wasn't an attractive prospect.

More importantly, right now he was also some sort of landlord for his current habitation and provided him with a bedroom, food and water. If he had no wish to get thrown out, pissing him off was a useless and meaningless action.

Naruto turned his head and observed as the warrior monk scratched his hairless head with a thoughtful look on his face: "Bottling her emotions up, eh…? I guess it's like that…" After nodding a few times to himself, as if confirming some theories, he slightly opened his slit eyes and gave a non-hostile glare to the blonde near him.

At this slightly unnerving look that he was given by Yakumo, Naruto merely nodded in understanding. The latter didn't need any particular power or deductive thinking to assume about what this guy was forbidding him from doing. True, Kokonoe Yakumo was annoying, nosy, loud and infinitely similar to a gossiping girl while being a pervert with a disgusting fetish for young girls. Yet, despite all his negative traits, he was also protective, holding close and safe those dear to him.

Before, he kept muttering in silence 'bottling up' and needless to say the principal topic was Shiba Miyuki. Naruto didn't particularly know anything about Miyuki or her problems, after all they had barely interacted with each other since the day when they had met. But he had the knowledge that Yakumo was particularly affectionate with the pair of siblings, naturally as the warrior monk had a soft spot for every student he had previously trained.

He also knew really well about the importance of secrets and private matters, despite the fact that he always spied on others as a personal hobby. But if those two were involved, his priorities probably changed.

So basically, what those usually closed eyes were indirectly warning him of was that it would be the best if the blonde didn't pry any further in the matter.

It wasn't as if there was any need to tell him about it. As mentioned before, Naruto was constantly careful about the targets of his power and why, so if that stuff about Shiba Miyuki bottling up her emotions was personal, it was only natural to not get nosy on it.

Not only that. True, it was common knowledge that one shouldn't interfere in someone else's business, but somehow the Uzumaki could relate to that 'storm' he had seen inside the consciousness of the beautiful girl, particularly about repressing one's feelings and emotions.

After all, everyone had their own demons.

And staying on the same topic…

It would be better if he discussed it with his guardian. Preventing instead of curing, or something like that anyway, wasn't it a saying he had heard some years ago?

The pair of Shinobi had already stepped on the wooden porch near the offerings box.

"Well, this is it." Yakumo-sensei huffed tiredly. This was where they would separate and make their way to bed, but the monk stopped in his own tracks when he turned his bald head to get a look on Naruto. He had been strangely silent for a while since his glare from before, it couldn't be that he got offended from it, right? That was the thought that swam in his mind, but that sank when he witnessed the blonde, of all people, displaying a troubled expression.

Naruto made no effort to hide his discomfort about something that seemed to be tearing him from inside, so ignoring it was probably not a good move since he got assigned as his Guardian for the duration of his stay outside. He was an adult after all, and there was a limit to irresponsibility.

'Haku would tear me a new one if something were to happen…' With a hidden shiver running down his spine, thinking about the overprotective Guardian of Uzumaki Naruto and what the bodyguard would do to assure the blonde master's safety, or punish anyone who offended him, wasn't a good thing.

There were only a handful of discussions in which the blonde Shinobi would feel a real displeasure to talk about. Perhaps Naruto could be remembering that particular woman, but if he did his mood would be far worse right now. His parents…were they even considered as worthy to be reminded about? Nay, so that left even fewer choices to pick from…

And then it hit the Shinobi Master's mind. It was simple, really. Could it be any more obvious? Maybe he was getting old, usually he would have noticed this earlier.

They had been talking about Miyuki's particular dilemma in managing her problems, so that was a hint. Particularly, Naruto had mentioned that the prodigious Magician bottled up her emotions and kept her true feelings hidden.

So that must have only meant one, single thing. After all, the blonde was no stranger in keeping a particular intent under check all the time.

"Damn…understood. Tell me, how many times?" As if they just had a long conversation, Yakumo presented a question that from an outsider's point of view made absolutely no sense.

But that was a wholly different matter for both of them. Naruto already mentioned before about the monk's deductive skills, so he felt no surprise at him catching on quickly. Or rather, that was his aim from the beginning. Talking about his 'outbursts' was uncomfortable and awkward at the same time, and he did all he could to avoid it whenever the need to converse about it presented itself.

Naruto looked away, a mixture of irritation and regret pictured on his face, showing just how he desired to dig himself a hole on the ground and hide in it. Still not facing the other Shinobi, he muttered in a barely audible tone: "Two times during the entrance ceremony…and almost a third one, I guess. I myself don't know how it happened."

Hearing perfectly fine despite the low voice, Yakumo almost took a step back at the revelation. He almost opened his mouth agape in shock, but doing such an exaggerated move would only further worsen Naruto's mood, something that was absolutely not wanted right now. The current situation was already precarious enough and Yakumo wanted to handle it carefully and with the utmost care.

Just one outburst was a rare occurrence, it meant that something had majestically pissed off the blonde student and sent his rage meter to the maximum point. Needless to say, even a single one carried great danger with it and if something else added fuel to the fire while he was still angered, that would likely bring out his instinct out of his range of control and Naruto wouldn't be able to keep it in check anymore.

A dangerous event, thankfully no one got killed or injured. No, maybe it was more accurate to say that no city got destroyed or erased from the map. If Naruto made no qualm about utilizing his most dangerous spells without his reason refraining him from doing it, that could only lead to extreme destruction on a vast scale.

And what angered him so much to the point of shortening his fuse and sparking a second outburst, almost a third?!

'I knew it that enrolling him to a Magic High School could only lead to a giant mess!' It wasn't even an overly big reaction. If he didn't do anything about this, this could seriously lead to Naruto getting killed. Not by the police, they wouldn't even be able to graze him and his unexpected fighting style would take them on surprise. Perhaps…Tatsuya would be able to do something. No, if he did really go out he would surely be able to do something, maybe even stopping him from rampaging and cancel the city from the map.

Still…

Why was he even thinking about this? Even after all the teasing and making fun out of him, Yakumo truly cared for Naruto and having him reduced to a puddle of components of the human body was the desire of most members of his clan, but surely not his own.

He asked for his help, so as his guardian and friend what could he do but lend him a hand in this situation?

Seeing him right now, his eyes downcast and void of emotions, was a sight that ached his heart. He considered proposing him in immediately withdrawing from school, but the blonde was most likely going to refuse. He was always bothered and annoyed by the system present in First High School, always nagged him about it, but getting confined in the temple without doing what most teenagers did at his age would probably only irritate him more than necessary.

Getting treated as a monster in need of surveillance, that was one of Naruto's fears.

So, the only solution was to strengthen the lock on his mind. To not loosen it, and neither tying it too much, he had to adhere to the original design as much as possible. Yakumo had confidence in his abilities, but they were a far cry from the one who created and applied the seal that assisted Naruto in putting a leash over his killing intent. The best he could do was slowing down the breaking process, so alerting the Uzumaki clan's leader was a high priority right now.

Yakumo made a mental sigh to not alarm Naruto too much, who was already looking extremely annoyed at something, perhaps from the prospect of how many deaths he could cause if the killing intent were to take over him. If he did not do something, there was a possibility that his speculations could turn into reality.

"Don't worry, Naruto-kun." He put a hand to his shoulder on order to calm the blonde down, and much to his happiness that worked well, albeit he was still appearing troubled "I may not be on the same level of your Grandmother, but I'm positive that I can do something until someone from the Clan comes and makes better adjustments."

Yakumo didn't know if his words were able to somehow put the blonde at ease, and hopefully they would be able to. If he wasn't in a serene state of mind, the process in which he strengthened the seal was going to get more complicated by many folds and therefore the situation would devolve in chaos.

"I swear I will never abandon you in a sticky situation like this. You can count on me." These words weren't said with an ounce of deceitfulness, and not one of them was stretched or lied about. No matter what, even if he was against powerful enemies, he had no desire to leave Naruto to his faith. If he did, that would surely reflect poorly on his image as a temporary Guardian, but more importantly as a friend and comrade in the same clan.

Naruto was still in a worried state, but his posture regained slowly more confidence and finally he stood straight up, throwing away his depressed attitude.

"…eh, I'm pretty sure that one can match Grandmother anyway, so saying 'not on the same level' is a great understatement. Don't get too cocky." This was delivered with a deadpan yet joking tone, and in a way it communicated how the blonde's tension was loosened up at the reassuring words. Hearing that, Yakumo could only be happy at the regained cheerfulness while smiling knowingly at the statement.

He greatly respected the Clan's leader, Naruto's grandmother, maybe he was one of the few persons still alive that had ever witnessed her skills, so doubting the statement wasn't' something he could allow himself to do.

"Good, you got all arrogant again. Isn't that a good sign? Now I'm going to arrange the preparations, you can shower while I set up the ritual."

If this was a manga, a question mark could be popping on the top of Naruto's head, showing is confusion at the advice of the bald monk.

"What are you saying? I'm going to get all sweaty anyway, so…oh." He was grabbing his clothes for emphasis, before a stinky smell made its way to his nostrils. God, this wasn't a nice odor at all, it could be on par to the Inuzuka dogs' piss if this was a contest of stenches. Even the blood on his uniform reached the grey shirt underneath and as a result even the skin under all of his clothing got a bad smell on it, similar to that of rusted iron.

Right, so a shower may be the best thing to do. Mainly to get rid of the blood and smell, also to calm his nerves about all the stuff that had happened this day. Perhaps he should take his time to put more money on the gas and water taxes of the temple, if this abandoned place even paid these, that is.

He started to step into the bathroom, which was right in front of him, when Yakumo's voice, who was already nearing a corner, called out at him: "It seems we will not get any sleep tonight!"

The statement was delivered with a certain undertone, carrying with it a perverse meaning which made the blonde groan tiredly.

'This guy…' At the implications hidden in the phrase, Naruto could only snort in disgust while the pervert monk cackled loudly, his laughter waking up all the unfortunate disciples that were sleeping soundly before.

**XxX**

Honoka lived alone in an apartment situated in a particularly wealthy district, famous for displaying hotels hosting many celebrities and VIPs. Her building was positioned in a way that allowed her to be near a renowned restaurant that prepared take-away meals therefore eating good food without any problems was the norm for her.

Yet, despite the fact that she wouldn't even need ten minutes to get down and purchase a dish that she especially loved, the girl wasn't able to bring herself to do it. She was hungry and her stomach begged to be filled, yet she was resting on her soft bed while reflecting about the events that had transpired at school.

She was simply overjoyed, this girl who was never able to find a challenging rival beside her best friend, now she finally found two Magicians perfectly capable to surpass her and Shizuku in skill.

This feeling of fulfillment should have filled the void Honoka had felt each time her talent overshadowed the hard work others had always struggled to exercise. When other had showed difficulty in doing anything related to the science called Magic, this girl and her friend had repeatedly earned the scorn of the less gifted by casting spells with absolute ease, causing them to seek friendship only between themselves.

And now that she had met a blonde, friendly boy, her wish was probably going to be satisfied.

Even so, she had some hesitation about Naruto-san. He was friendly and open to others, yet she couldn't forget what she had seen that afternoon.

Those red eyes which had peered into her soul, despite the fact that he hadn't been sparing her a glance, terrified her very being. They hadn't been staring at her and yet, all she could do when being reminded about them was curling up in her sheets while shivering in fear.

People often commented about her being a scaredy-cat, a person who couldn't face anything and shied away from dangers. Obviously, Honoka never gave too much thought about those remarks, as she was used for people to criticize her out of jealousy.

Was she being a coward? She desired to consider Naruto-san as her first male friend, she admired him as a model figure despite knowing him for barely a few hours. She wanted this, but she hadn't been capable to even bring herself to toughen up and face courageously that glare.

She felt ashamed. It was always like this, she was a member of the masses that ignored whatever was convenient for her and distanced herself from anything that could cause her needless problems.

Even the discrimination that caused the social rift between the elites, 'Blooms', and the less talented, 'Weeds, was largely ignored by Honoka. She didn't like that way of speaking that cruelly categorized the Course 2 Students as mere 'spares', yet she never did anything to mend the twisted mindset of other students and merely thought 'If they don't include me it's fine'.

Was she going to break any ties with Naruto-san simply because she couldn't even stand a little of that hateful glare he had sent in the direction of the 'Blooms' making fun of Miyuki-san's brother? Perhaps he would despise her too for having an equally disgusting mindset as those students?

"Kyaa!"

In her bedroom, a ring was heard by her ears and startled her from her previously thinking position. Honoka almost fell from her bed from the sheer surprise, but recomposed herself once she picked up her phone, from which the sound came, and read the one who was calling her.

Making a sliding motion with her finger on the touch screen, she placed the device on her right ear: "Hello, Shizuku."

"Honoka." Short and without any greeting, her usually impassible friend said her name from the other side of the phone with a strange undertone laced in her voice.

The two of them, being best friends, talked to each other every night before going to bed, having light discussion about what had happened in the day despite how they were always together, so there wasn't much point in doing so.

That was why Honoka was able to easily notice the change in inflection that her grey-haired rival's tone possessed. She always spoke solemn, quite words which didn't inspire any emotions, so this was a surprise for her.

Honoka felt that Shizuku wanted to say something important, perhaps about her actions today. She was constantly sensitive about her change in mood, so she knew that this moment would eventually come.

"It's about Naruto…" The unusually fiery voice of her friend made a vague introduction about the topic of this call.

"I-I know...it's not like you need to tell me!" Stuttering these words, the pig-tailed girl promptly regretted them for adding an accusatory tone in the answer she gave to the other side of the phone. Shizuku had not done anything wrong, taking it out on her wasn't fair "…sorry, I didn't want to."

"It's okay, I understand your feelings." Soothing her, Honoka calmed once she affirmed that her friend didn't get offended by her outburst.

Their discussion didn't continue of a single step for a while. Both of them could only hear the breath of each other from their phones, as if reflecting on a good way to start the topic on their mind.

"Shizuku…" The silence was broken by the murmur of Honoka, who was surprisingly the first to mitigate her nerves and speak before her friend "I'm scared..."

Honoka did not mean that she held fear for those 'eyes', the crimson red color that stole the sky blue in Naruto's irises. Perhaps the best term with which she could describe her feeling at that time was the 'wariness' that a prey harbored in its heart when faced in front of a great danger. But she was certain that her new friend wouldn't do something as if attack others just for a dislike of the Course system, much less them.

The fact that she never acted, that she did anything she could to escape from matters that could endanger her even slightly. These characteristics of her personality not only made her disgusted in herself, but also made her frightened that once Naruto discovered them, she would be rejected by him immediately, with only scorn in his eyes.

All of this was unneeded to explain, there was no reason to do so. Honoka and Shizuku always understood each other, knew everything about each other and could precisely predict what the other would say in response to their words or actions. Though, the last part applied largely for only the grey-haired girl and not for the over-sensitive one, but the point was that despite all of this Shizuku had to morally support her insecure friend with helping words.

"Honoka…" Shizuku started, her voice firm and unexpectedly reprimanding "I will always say this to you, no matter how many times I need to. You are a good person, what you did never unjustly harmed anyone. So there is no reason for you to be frightened, any person who can read someone's true self can understand this."

Short, with the hint of an upset tone, Honoka's friend gave her a lecture without any restraint, straight to the matter.

Once again, silence returned to the line connecting the two girls, but in this occasion it was for allowing the pig-tailed Magician to mull over about what she was 'lectured' about.

Even if Shizuku said all of those soothing words, that merely functioned as a temporary consolation for Honoka. It was her friend who said this, so even if she tried to be as impartial as possible, the judgment was sure to be slightly biased. It didn't help that her emotionless rival always had great faith and confidence in Honoka, thinking highly of her.

Despite these facts, the pig-tailed girl couldn't help but crack a smile at how Shizuku could always guess the right things to say at her. Even if she still held some doubts regard herself, she was definitely relieved and calmer.

"Thank you, Shizuku and…sorry for getting so upset at school."

"It's okay. That was something Honoka had been looking forward after all."

The two of them, back before when they had been still standing in the school's ground, Honoka had suddenly gotten upset at no one in particular for seeing Shiba Miyuki's brother being relegated as a 'Weed', the students considered useless spares. But for her, who was part of the Mitsui Family, the performance that she had witnessed during the practical exam had been beautifully executed.

Her Family always held a particular trait of possessing 'eyes which could see the light'. They weren't the famed Over-sensitivity to Spirit Particle Emission, a hereditary disorder which brought more trouble than anything else, but a simple acute reaction towards the light background noise produced by all spells.

Shiba Miyuki's brother, even if most people simply dismissed his as a 'failure brother' in comparison to his talented sister, Honoka could understand that he wielded a Magic that perfectly brought practicability over beauty. The light of Psions could be seen as a nice effect accompanying spells, but for the over-sensitive girl that was so sensible to it the remains of Magic were visualized as 'annoying', similar to how one would narrow its eyes when staring directly at the sun.

That was why she was positive that only she could comprehend how the Magic he had utilized wasn't useless, but a spell that maxed out all the possible potential while retaining a captivating aura.

For this reason, the decision of the school's board of putting him along with the 'incompetent' Course 2 Students had understandably elicited a negative reaction from her. She couldn't understand how someone with so much skill had to be considered a 'spare'.

"But it was really pretty, uh?"

Suddenly, Honoka was pulled out of her thoughts by the interrupting voice of her friend. At first, she wanted to reply with a dumb 'what?', but after thinking thoroughly about what she said she realized Shizuku was commenting about the beautiful spell of Shiba Miyuki's brother.

"Yes, I feel overwhelming strength from Naruto-san and Shiba-san, they are really similar. Her brother instead uses only the minimum Magic Power needed, but even then it's fascinating..."

Even if it wasn't at the same level, Shizuku too was able to discern the difference between the spells that were casted by amateurs or professionals. The gap almost always laid on how much Psions you wasted from the overabundance of Magic Sequences.

"Didn't Blondie tell you to call his name without honorifics?"

"I-I can't just d-do that!" Honoka, with a red blush on her face, almost yelled at the other line of the phone when the mischievous personality of her grey-haired friend emerged once again. Naruto-san had allowed her to call him by his first name, so she was more than happy to do so, but not adding any honorifics almost hinted that they were far closer than they actually were. It wasn't as if Honoka minded, but…!

"Fight, Honoka. Getting close to the person you admire is the first step."

Once in a while…no, whenever she felt like messing with the pig-tailed girl was a source of entertainment, Shizuku would draw joy by teasing her friend while taking advantage of her over-sensitive personality and obtain embarrassed reactions from her. It never got old for the impassible girl, but every time Honoka would get far more frustrated than necessary.

"S-stop making fun of m-me, y-you will regret it!" The pig-tailed student tried to unusually take the aggressive role from their relationship, making an attempt of intimidating her crafty friend. A mere attempt, that is.

The threat(?) coming from her trembling mouth didn't have the desired effect Honoka hoped and she only received even more teasing from Shizuku: "Yes, yes. If Honoka says so, then it is so." Needless to say, she didn't mean it at all, her tone not hiding the sarcasm dripping like water.

"S-Shizukuuuuuuu!"

**XxX**

When Naruto woke up, he half expected to find himself in his room while the birds sang outside in tune with the morning. That would have been surely a good start for the second day of school.

The ritual yesterday worked out perfectly…maybe. How could he tell, he hadn't even witnessed it by himself. Yakumo-sensei had made him drink a disgusting, muddy and suspicious concoction to relax his nerves, saying something along the lines of 'I don't need you writhing on the floor in pain, so take this and go to the land of dreams'. After that, he had basically forced that mysterious medicine down his throat before he could protest with a reasonable explanation.

God, he could feel the taste even now. It was a strange mixture of grass, onion and fresh vegetables and red bean. Not that he particularly minded the last one, red bean soup was among his favorite foods, but the three remaining tastes almost made him feel as if puking out all his breakfast from the other day. Now that he thought about it, he hadn't had neither lunch nor dinner, during the afternoon he had been too preoccupied with exploring the city in wonder, while the last night had been spent with the sealing ceremony.

So the only possible nutrient that he had the ability to throw out from his stomach was the rice and fish he had as breakfast before going for the first day at school.

But…it wasn't as if he could just start to puke on the ground without any reason. If he didn't felt like doing it, he had no desire to stuff his fingers to have convulsions as a result of gag reflex, it would have been really unpleasant. This was the first reason, anyway.

The second was that he could not do such an action. This was not meant because it would be rude to have his vomit on the sacred floor of a temple, or since overall it would have been pretty embarrassing.

Naruto had no idea about how to puke in a mindscape.

Yes, mindscape.

Otherwise, there were no other speculations or assumptions about how it was possible to wake up in a sewer, of all things, and have in front of him a needlessly huge prison.

His surroundings consisted of equally giant walls, while his feet were submerged in grey, dirty water befitting a place such as a sewer. Looking behind him, Naruto saw nothing but darkness that grew deeper and blacker the more he maintained his field of vision there.

It officially disturbed him, but as long as there was no ghost to mention in here, he could do just fine. He was sure that he had heard somewhere that these places were famous for being the habitat of alligators, so he had no need to fear anything since he had enough pride and confidence in himself to be sure that the toothy reptiles wouldn't be a problem for him to beat up.

Normally, Naruto would be far more agitated. Imagine, waking up somewhere, having not the slightest idea of the location. Anyone, no matter how composed or calm, could be at ease in such a situation.

But that wasn't the case for him, since for all its unusual weirdness, the blonde had already experienced this strange scenario several times, so this was quickly becoming mundane for him, and that also somehow worried him. Used to the event of waking up in a muddy, dark and creepy cesspool, that wasn't normal by any means, was it?

Well, it wasn't as if he could by any stretch be called normal. Throwing around reality-changing spells, that was quickly shifting to the 'special but okay' category in the world right now, but Naruto meant that he had a lot of other 'more unusual' abilities in his repertory. Wind pressure bombs, rotational energy spheres…that kind of things, and even more. He was sure that his kind of Magic wasn't some third-rated superpower that you could find on any manga character, so he liked to think of himself as particular even among Magicians.

Now...returning to the topic of why he had woken up in a yellow-colored sewer, just after the shady ritual that he had undergone last night in order to lock up his 'condition' in a cell.

'Hey, what a coincidence!' you would usually think. But sadly no, this wasn't some sort of casual happening, he had expected with a 100% certainty that after the sealing ceremony, he would have to, once again, venture in his mindscape. Seriously, why was it a sewer? He would have preferred a giant city full of skyscrapers. Perhaps it had some kind of fashion and coolness in all its strangeness, but it didn't matter how he was used to it, the stinky smell that was attached like glue in every corner of this place was the most unnerving characteristic in here.

Even if it was his mind, he still retained his ability to use all his five senses, and till this moment he had never found a practical or useful use in it. The disgusting flavor of the concoction was still clinging on his tongue and he had to smell the stinky scent of dirty water even while sleeping, despite after having to wash out all the blood and sweat in the shower yesterday. The sense of touch wasn't good to have either, all his pants were drenched in the muddy water and he had a need to scratch his skin.

Regarding the fact that he was still able to see and hear…

"**Let me out of here!"**

…Naruto had to look at an unpleasant sight of a version of him, wearing his same clothes and possessing his identical voice, rebelling like a child in the giant cage in front of him, while listening to his complaints.

It was an exact version of him with his same appearance, leaving out the black eyes with red pupils. Unfortunately, it didn't sport the same personality of the original, otherwise Naruto would have possessed a perfect replica of him to talk with, but instead a dark and crazy replica fell on his laps.

"**Damn, damn, damn! I was so close, just another day and…fuck!"** It was just painful and embarrassing for Naruto to witness someone with his same aspect to whine around while punching a wall, leaving football-sized dents as 'it' sputed curses around.

Honestly, the sight was ridiculous. It was trapped in a giant cell, but it didn't appear as effective as the name said. The distance between the bars made it so that a human could easily and effortlessly pass between them, so seeing that the prisoner had no choice but to stay locked and complain loudly…that was amusing.

All the merit could be given to the giant piece of paper sticking in the middle section of the gates that blocked the entrance to the cell. On the center of it was written in a big kanji the word for 'Seal' and it seemed to act as a literal lock for the prison. Strange and numerous ideograms were expanding from it like chains that held the two gates together.

Obviously, such a thing was not applicable in reality. Maybe with Magic, but still that was just a possibility, and even then it had no other use other than a beautiful display for the eyes. Naruto didn't think that even with numerous spell could one make words appear from thin air and then strengthen them to the point of having the same durability of steel chains.

So this was indeed just a dream, or more precisely the inside of his mind. He would have been a lot happier if the guy in front of him was just a product of his imagination, though. Unfortunately, one couldn't obtain everything at once.

"**Shit, fucking shit! That fucking bald, once I am out I will pull his intestines out and hang him with them!"**

Naruto was quickly growing disturbed with the swearing and vulgar language that was being used in front of him. Moreover, even if he didn't particularly care, it had the same appearance as him. The same blond hair, the same body build, the same whiskers, the same uniform and the same voice. He couldn't ignore someone so similar and identical to him acting like a whiny child who wasn't able to get a toy.

The original blonde decided to act, stepping loudly on the water under him to catch the attention of the other presence in the sewer. He repeated the same action a few times, drops of dirty water spilling on his pants, and finally he managed to capture its attention since it stopped its own actions, namely pummeling the ground and wall.

The other Naruto turned his head with an annoyed look, and when its eyes saw the sane one, a complicated expression appeared on its face. It seemed to be pleased by his presence and started to form a malicious grin, his lips twisting, but on the other hand his eyebrows dropped in way that said 'Oh, man'.

"**Ahh…the king, making his presence known to the plebeian. What, coming here to laugh at me getting sealed again? We are limiting ourselves to being a fake 'civilian' who can use Magic, are we?"**

With a mock bow, since there was no way it was genuine as it exaggerated the gesture of the hand coming to the chest, the red-eyed blonde sneered out with a sarcastic tone. There was only annoyance written on its face.

Naruto snorted, not hiding how he was equally annoyed at being here too, but didn't reply with an angry retort. After all these years, the bad manners of it were already something he came to cope with and he wasn't the least surprised. He walked towards the gate with hands in his pockets.

"If I was a king, a dangerous subject like you wouldn't be allowed in my kingdom. And what do you mean by 'we'?"

The other Naruto almost retaliated at the remark, its already short fuse almost getting lit again, but decided to let it pass. Even then, it didn't have any freedom in its choice of action, so it had no means to hurt the original one.

At least, though, that went for both. The original wasn't able to hurt the Dark Naruto and Dark Naruto was sealed, so it was limited to roaming around. Therefore, it also had no reason to reply, but decided to do so anyway while walking towards the bars.

"**It means exactly what I fucking said. Do you see any other one here? You and me, that is what I meant by 'we'. That woman isn't here right now, so it's only 'we'. Are you stupid? Get back to elementary school and study everything from scratch again."**

Okay…that was ticking him off. Naruto didn't want to give it any satisfaction, so he tried his best in hiding his twitching eye. That didn't seem to work at all, as Dark Naruto gained a smirk comparable to the one possessed by a psychopath. It was as if his read was being read…

"**It isn't 'as if', it's exactly as you are guessing. We are one and the same, so the flow of thoughts goes to me and to you."**

Dark Naruto made a surprisingly calm explanation as it crossed his legs while it sat on the cell's ground, somehow not staining its pants.

So that was it…damn, he forgot that each occasion he arrived here, it was only logical. Or maybe he purged that information from his mind since it was related to 'it' here.

"**Mmph, it's not my fault that you're an idiot. Since I just got sealed back here, the connection now only works from you to me. Eh, I can read your mind but you can't, isn't that just hilarious?" **It made some kind of gesture with its hand while throwing at the original Naruto a smug look, greatly pissing him off.

Now there wasn't that much of a distance between them. Before they could barely see each other, but now only the sealing letters and the gate were separating the two.

The last statement from Dark Naruto wasn't necessary. No, truth was that the blue-eyed blonde knew all of the stuff he was being told, but the ritual had probably made him sleepy and tired, so perhaps he wasn't able to give it much thought behind.

He knew the mechanics of the seal pretty well. A given, after all, this guy had carried an important role in his life and still did, no matter how much he disliked it. Basically, normally the flow of their thoughts went both ways, so the two received emotions from the other one. That was how it worked if the seal wasn't in place, and thus the mental spell on his mind acted like a barrier that protected him from the negative intents of Dark Naruto. That was also the origin of his killing intent, as whenever he had grew angry and furious, the sigil had weakened slightly.

If Naruto were to have no negative emotions for all the duration of his life and was always happy, the spell was supposed to last forever. Obviously and utterly unrealistic, no one was able to not feel any trouble, anxiety, anger, sadness forever for all life. Usually, he had to renew the seal every year or half a year, and the last time he did so was eight months ago.

Less than normal, there had to be a reason for that decrease in time. Yet, Naruto didn't need to give in any effort, he knew the motive as it was only obvious.

"**Yeah, yeah! Those fucking pieces of shit at First High, don't they just piss you off beyond reason?! High and mighty, I bet that they never risked their life! They treat Magic as some fucked up sport and social status while its true motive is blatantly clear!"**

While Dark Naruto's spouting was unnerving, not a single word was a lie. The system consisting in dividing students in 'Bloom' and 'Weed' had made him furious, such that he had wanted to lash out at everyone without even the influence of the other blonde. As a consequence, the seal had weakened greatly and that accelerated the possible merging of the two.

That…had been too close, too damn close. Using the other Naruto's words as a reference, if he hadn't mentioned anything to Yakumo-sensei and had gone to school while ignoring the matter, he would have killed every students present in the school. Their bodies lying on the destroyed school, he would have rampaged in the city and slaughtered further and further until someone stopped him.

He was glad that did not happen.

"**I'm not though, and you shouldn't be too!"** His thoughts were interrupted by the loud statement coming from the prisoner, it standing up while glaring at the one blonde outside the cell. He already knew what he was going to say, so he just directed a displeased look at it to try and stop it **"Why are you in denial?! Despite how bad it is, this desire is something we were born with, there is nothing we can do about it but satisfy ourselves!" **

Naruto only huffed tiredly at the complaint, but put a lot of effort in not growing angry or pissed about what was being said. The seal right now was not at full force, it could at best last him a month or two before breaking, so weakening it wasn't a good option to undertake.

"You say 'nothing we can do'…isn't the countermeasure right between us?"

To specify, the blonde tapped with his knuckles the cold surface of the steel with which the gates were made of. As long as the seal and prison did their job, he had no need to fear himself going berserk and going in a killing spree.

"**Ah?…ahahahah! Hell, are you being serious?!"** Dark Naruto didn't agree with it at all and opted to laugh madly while admonishing completely the blue-eyed blonde's opinion. It grinned, as if having already thought about the perfect comeback to counter him** "How long do you think it's going to work? This giant, rusted piece of garbage will break sooner or later! With the kind of person we are, that shouldn't be a surprise! Someday, no matter when, it will happen! We will experience strong hate, sadness, loneliness, jealousy, that this obstacle will get blown away and we will be free to act as we should!"** And now it started to grin madly, completely sure that something like this would eventually happen.

And, perhaps it wasn't all wrong.

Naruto wanted to rebuke at it, saying that it wasn't true. All of them were only conjectures and hope at which Dark Naruto was merely clinging on, yet those whishes were something that had no chance to actualize.

But he couldn't. What it said had a solid foundation, it wasn't the madness of a crazy being. The entrance ceremony was an example: just the mere mention of that system and seeing the social division greatly angered him, and therefore with that sentiment the chains that held the gates together only rusted. If the situation continued as it was now, Naruto had no idea about what was going to happen…or rather, he knew, but that scenario had to be avoided at all costs.

Thinking all of this in the blink of an eye, a reply would be expected most of times. Submitting Dark Naruto with only a well-thought speech was appealing, but since it possessed the ability to read his mind, that wasn't a favorable option.

The blonde outside the cell whirled around and started to walk away, deciding to stop the conversation as the imprisoned one raised an eyebrow even though Naruto's thoughts were flowing into it, thus it already predicted the action and understood why.

"**Hey, what the fuck are you doing?"**

It presented the question despite the mind reading ability. The seal was at fault, even if it could use receive, the connection was bad and failed at times, so it had only an hunch about what Naruto's intentions were.

Though, what he was doing was pretty obvious.

"Now who is the idiot? I'm tired of this conversation, it has no sense and you aren't reasonable with anyway. I'm out of here. I'll go deep enough this sewer so that I will be spared you bantering."

Naruto started to walk away, having said all that he had to say. He wouldn't leave without a good reason and he had just explained it.

There was that, but another reason underneath his statement was hidden. He had the feeling that if he stayed here longer than necessary, Dark Naruto would pull out an argument particularly angering and uncomfortable to him. Since there were a lot of them, sticking around wasn't a nice prospective.

Of course, all these thoughts flowed like water in the jailed blonde.

It grinned maliciously, already having at hand the perfect way to anger Naruto. It was going to be unpleasant for him, but if it needed to do this in order to open his eyes and merge with him once more, then…

"**Yeah, a coward like you should just go away. You are a spineless, fearful and weak coward, who couldn't keep a woman safe." **

All the space around the two appeared to freeze in both time and space. Even the dirty water at their feet, which was splashing lightly before, suddenly calmed down and grew still. No sound was emitted as Naruto's body stopped bringing him forward.

Still not giving a single glance to the captive, he just shifted himself behind. He did so just slightly, the minimum to express anger so deadly that it was calm and cold at the same time.

KSHH...

Dark Naruto thought about how everything was going perfectly. It was clear that the invisible glare that was being directed at it was all but good-natured. Negative emotions were taking the appearance similar to leaves dancing in the wind, and in this case they were doing such display around the figure of the blonde outside the jail.

"**We sure had our fun three years ago! There were so many soldiers around that it might have been a party dedicated for us!"**

KSHH…

Impossibly, Dark Naruto's grin stretched wider than before, along with its satisfaction at how the situation was playing out. It already heard it two times, the sweet and satisfying sound of the seal weakening. The letters that acted as chains for its freedom had their deep black color fading away more and more, with each second giving it more strength.

Naruto was still at a distance which allowed his ear to receive the sound that seemed so 'sweet' to the dark one. In truth, it resembled more like the writhing around of snakes that were about to bite you to death.

He was able to hear the bad noise of the seal weakening, of the letters fading. That only meant that he was exuding negative feelings, the ones that were something he had to avoid at all costs.

But that hardly mattered to him right now. Mentioning how he hadn't been able to do anything at that time. He had been so strong, able to wipe off from the map entire buildings, and yet…he hadn't been able to keep a single woman from dying, a single life. He had stolen so many lives that day, and perhaps in retribution he had lost one.

He just had to remember all of that, that battle. The way he had bathed in blood, the way he had roared and announced his presence in battle. How his enemies had feared his presence despite him warning them, as if he had been the hunter and they the prey. He had caused twisted and bended countless bodies.

He just had to remember all of that.

Naruto directed a murderous gaze towards the cage, not hiding his desire to rip the grinning prisoner in shreds. It was this guy's fault, all of it. He had been forced to do those missions, have the need to kill in order to be satisfied only because of it.

Dark Naruto was a part of him, and therefore the possibility of killing it was out of question. For example, cutting away the rotten part of an apple ruined the entire fruit. Their relationship was similar, if something happened to it their entire consciousness would collapse and Naruto would enter a state similar to a coma.

The seal served that purpose. Naruto wouldn't be able to leave even a dent in it, despite the fact that this was his mindscape and therefore a place where he had full power to do anything, with the exception of the sigil and what was inside.

And if the seal were to disappear, that would mean that the right of domination would be fought over between the two of them. Whoever won, the result wouldn't be an outcome where his body and mind were safe.

These important reminders were lost to Naruto, who was in a condition that only allowed him to filter the desire to kill and obliterate the one imprisoned inside that cage.

All went to Dark Naruto's favor. The situation was proceeding completely at its advantage. Soon, the seal would weaken enough that these gates would be mere trash in front of it, allowing it to unite with Naruto to the point where they would rampage around, free to let their killing intent out.

In Dark Naruto's opinion, what it was doing was completely right. Why did the two of them have to hide their own, true feelings? If they had such an innate desire to take life, to steal the light from people's eyes, then it was simple. They just had to accept that part of them, no matter what cost. It didn't care about what damage it would spread around, any individual's feelings weren't even in its equations.

For what it was doing was just.

Naruto started to walk forward, ignoring completely what his action would lead to. His steps splashed on the water, and influenced by his boiling anger, the mindscape steadily grew hotter, as if a heavy presence appeared before them.

He started to walk faster, and faster, and faster, ignoring how his clothes were drenched, only his killing intent showing in his expression. At the same moment, as if in tune with his movements, the letters wrapped around the bars of the prison were still pitch black, but they were undoubtedly losing darkness.

This sewer was Naruto's mindscape. Here, he could influence everything beside the seal and the sealed. If he decided that his punch would have such kinetic force behind it, then so would happen. It didn't register in his fogged mind that what he was doing was utterly meaningless and stupidly idiotic.

Naruto raised his punch, and a hand shot out. Successfully, Dark Naruto's cheek deformed and its body was sent flying to one of the walls inside the cell, raising dust from the sheer impact.

'What…!' The alarmed thought was shared by both of the occupants in the area. How did such a thing happen? It was normal for someone to get bewildered and confused after being on the receiving end of a punch, but there wasn't that kind of emotion behind their feelings.

Naruto's hand didn't budge of a single centimeter from its previous position. It was still hanging in air, and the previous killing intent that danced so wildly around the blonde dispersed as he lost strength in his arm and he slowly descended his limb. As he did so, his mind cleared off all the negative emotions, therefore he realized what he had been about to do and how he had been endangering the sigil.

'How could I…'

Naruto's face was contorted, as if he had swallowed a sour lemon, and regret showed in his eyes as he shamefully stared at the muddy water.

That was a completely selfish action from him. If he had unleashed himself and went berserk, not only him but all sort of people would receive his full killing intent, potentially ending their life and bringing damage to everywhere.

Even if 'she' was the one mentioned, he had lost his temper too easily. Was he so easy to manipulate? Was he so selfish to not even think about Yakumo-sensei and the apprentices who were probably near his real body?

He had to do something about that, there was no way he would endanger someone unrelated only because of his own desires.

Nodding to himself, Naruto finally shifted his attention from his below him to his front. There was still a mysterious event that he had to resolve. Namely, how on earth did Dark Naruto get hit?

Now that his mind could think reasonably and without having his thoughts clouded by his own rage, he tried to deduct among the many possibilities. Naruto could do anything in his mind, it was his personal reign, but the sigil and the jail were the only exceptions among all the possibilities.

More precisely, it was because these two weren't originally from his mind. They were introduced to his brain by the spell of his Grandmother, so they were created by her. He could influence Dark Naruto since it was with him since birth, but since it was inside the prison that wasn't among his range of ability anymore.

He couldn't punch or kick that guy, so the only possible explanation was that someone else not restricted by the seal did it for him.

But there were only he and Dark Naruto here in this place. It wasn't some…g-ghost, it wasn't possible. Naruto was…uncomfortable with them, so his mindscape wouldn't allow them within.

Yes, usually, apart from the two blondes no other soul was present in the sewer. In the huge area, they were the only person alive inside. If a Mental Interference Magic wasn't being used on him, no other presence could usually be there with them.

Usually, that is.

On some occasions, a third one showed up around here, fortunately for Naruto interrupting whatever discussion he and Dark Naruto had been having at that moment. And then, she had always ended up with pummeling with punches the prisoner while smiling at Naruto.

"_My, it isn't good at all, you know? The seal just got renewed, so taunting Master is no good at all."_

"**Y-you bitch! It's you, the hell are you doing here?!"**

Naruto got left out from the loop while the two were speaking among each other, one calmly admonishing the captive while it furiously demanded an explanation, pointing a finger to the figure while the other hand was preoccupied with holding the punched cheek, now bright red from the hit.

The figure revealed itself to be that of a woman of average height, yet she stood with the haughtiness of a monarch. Her body build was slender and attractive, wearing a female version of the uniform of First High. She had black eyes and a heart-shaped face, but probably the one feature that you would surely notice was her red flowing hair that extended to her knees.

That brightness was a welcoming sight for most people. It was of a beautiful red, of such a rare light that instead of repulsing others, it attracted them, just the right amount of color that made them comfortable.

Yet, that sight just pained Naruto's eyes and he narrowed in displeasure just at the mere fact of looking at them. He had no problems with the color, like others he found the fiery red as a nice view.

But that color was too similar to the one that the woman who gave birth to him sported, and seeing the color of red in front of him made him remember yet another unnecessary memory.

To not draw confusion, his mother wasn't the woman he had failed to save. The fact that he didn't like to be remembered of his Mother was altogether different from that other motive.

Naruto held what you could only call 'contempt' at the woman who had once held him in her womb. That was the reason that looking at such a similar color of her hair wasn't all that pleasant to him.

Despite that fact, Naruto didn't mind the third presence at all and welcomed it. Since she just destroyed Dark Naruto's pride by throwing him to a wall, his mood definitely got better from the previous depressed state and recovered.

Now, she was walking with ominous steps towards the sprawled body of the red-eyed Naruto, who was still twitching from the hit while glaring heatedly at her. She flocked away a bang of hair that shadowed a portion of her face with a quick gesture of her hand while her eyes looked down at the captive:_ "What I am doing here, you ask? It is obvious. I was saving my Master from your vulgarity. You were only bringing negative emotions in the sacred place that is this mindscape, so shutting your rude mouth was only natural."_

With each of the haughty word, Dark Naruto only grew angrier and it slowly got up from its previous position, its gaze promising the most painful torture it could imagine of:** "Rude, you say?! Interrupting other people's conversation is rude! You just had to show up now, didn't you?! I decided, I will kill you first when I am free from here! Wait in fear, you bi-!"**

Its exclamation and threat were both interrupted by a well-placed slap on the other unhurt cheek, immediately shutting it up by sending its body spiraling to the other side of the prison.

She just looked at it with an indifferent expression, as if what she just did was stepping on a bug or slapping away a fly:_ "Each word you speak is wasted on you, what you do is only wasting precious air on your meaningless rambling. Can't you just close that mouth forever?"_

Once again on its knees, Dark Naruto trembled indignantly in both pin and fury at the treatment it was receiving. The slap was impossibly strong, and its personal pride was shattered each time it experienced it. It felt furious about how her timing was perfect. Just a second or two and they would have been free, yet this perverted woman who could only think about the original Naruto had to interrupt and show herself with such timing…!

"**In the first place, this is his mind so there's no oxygen, carbonic dioxide or any other gas! Second, before you told me that I am vulgar, but do you think that you can afford to say this to me?! I know that in each occasion you have, especially when he is having a shower, you just go in a fan-girl mo-!**

Its retort was once again stopped by the red-haired woman sending it spinning in air with a punch to the side of his head. When it landed with a loud thud, before it could grasp the chance of getting up on his feet, she straddled the waist to keep it from moving. She was unconsciously offering it a close view of her full breast, so it didn't mind that part.

But the cold eyes that observed him as if it was just a bug to squash…those weren't attractive at all.

"**W-wait, stop-!"** Before it could muster any chance to beg for forgiveness from her, or salvation from the Naruto that was looking in bewilderment at the scene of a female bullying his other side, the red-haired beauty began to mercilessly pummel with punches the dominated prisoner.

She suddenly stopped at mid-hit, letting it take a breath or two.

"**I'm going to fucking kill-!"**

And she continued when it almost finished its threat, stopping only when it appeared to want to say something, just to restart again and again when it was on the point of terminating its exclamation.

For a few moments, the sound of knuckles hitting flesh was echoing loudly and clearly in the sewer, not sparing anything and making Naruto listen to it all. His expression was a mix of pity for Dark Naruto and horror at how merciless the woman was.

She didn't have any particular name, she herself had once said something like 'you are free to gift me any name you like, Master' while giving herself the unofficial status of his personal servant. One day she had just showed up when he was having a quarrel with his other side and suddenly she had started to inflict pain on it by stepping on his genitals while grinding them as if they were nuts.

By the way, that day she had been wearing heels.

He had just decided to call her 'Rossa', literally and simply the female version of red in Italian. His last mission was in the location of a country in the Western European Bloc, called Italy or something, so he had just blurted it out without thought. Yes, quite lame and he had half-expected to receive a complaint about how it was stupid, but to his surprise she had just bowed profoundly while crying in joy for having been blessed with a name by her Master.

A really weird girl, but the fact that she had only helped him this far was proof of the undying loyalty that she held towards him. He didn't know why she was so keen to serve him and despite how he was curious about it, Naruto had not questioned her about it. Perhaps she was some kind extra package that came with the seal? Rossa most likely had her origin in his Grandmother's spell, so asking her the next time he visited her would be far simpler.

Right now, Naruto only had one, single wish. To simply wake up in a comfy bed without being forced to watch the gruesome display unfolding in front of his eyes. He still had no problem about Dark Naruto getting beat up, hell after all he did in the last few minutes he was more than happy to allow his red-haired servant to torture him. But he would prefer if such a thing went ahead outside of his line of sight and sense of hearing.

Just seeing someone with his same appearance and voice getting beat up so easily filled Naruto with sheer shame, therefore getting out from here was his top priority right now. He could negate the two senses since this was his mind, but in the present he was feeling too tired both physically and psychologically to do this much.

Rossa finished her infinite combo of hits by delivering an extremely earthshaking punch right in the center of Dark Naruto's face, with a strength unbefitting her thin arms and enough to create crack in the ground. She intended to knock out the jailed blonde, but somehow she managed to not put it out of its misery and it just laid there, twitching with a swollen face while blood was running down its features.

Naruto observed as she just observed the twitching mass with an indifferent face. Wow, if anything he had to give praise to how much her body was strong and the amount of stamina she possessed, usually someone was able to only hit another with ten punches before stopping to catch air. Rossa wasn't even panting after all her blows, and the amount of hits she shot was…perhaps not estimating it was better. Though, he didn't have an exact grasp on the mechanics of the human body while it found itself in a dream, so…

The red-haired girl's head lifted from the prisoner's body and shifted to Naruto, who involuntarily jolted in fear when her hollow eyes bore into him. Even if she wouldn't dare to hurt him in any way, he had just witnessed her physically abusing another person, so it was natural that his danger sensor was growing wary of her, making his reaction purely instinctual.

In an instant, her eyes gained a cheery light to them while her previously straight face disappeared, in its place a happy, genuine smile formed:_ "Master, now you can wake up and return to the temple. You only need to walk behind you for a minute. When you return in another occasion, this will be a place befitting you presence."_

She would have been far more persuasive if there wasn't blood splattered in drops on all her uniform and face, giving her the appearance of a butcher, but since she just presented a good chance for him to get away, he had good reason to not prolong the discussion any further. With a timid nod, he started to walk way without turning back after offering a small bow: "T-thanks, Rossa…"

"_There's no need to lower you head, it's just natural as your servant to take these jobs."_ Once more, the sweetness of her tone didn't fit with the fact that she was straddling the bloodied body of a person while wearing clothes that hinted about her violent and gruesome actions.

While the blonde was till in hearing range, the red-eyed one gathered the remains of its miser strength and managed to point a shaky finger to Naruto's back while muttering with a quivering voice:** "Y-you p-pansy…getting s-scared o-of a w-woman…"**

So the connection was still on even despite the horrible beating he just received? The accusation wasn't that wrong, but it was still an insult, so Naruto was about to turn around and retort, but he was stopped by Rossa, whose voice once again adopted a cold, merciless tone.

"_Oh, you are still able to talk? Then this throat which can only channel vulgarities is next…"_

"**N-no…stop!"**

Without turning around, without looking back even one time, Uzumaki Naruto quickened his steps, exiting the scene in a hurry.

**XxX**

"I feel like shit..."

That was the first word that a certain whiskered blonde muttered when he woke up. His voice did all it could in stating how he found his physical condition tiresome, and while some could consider it as whining, he wasn't being exaggerated in his complaint.

Yesterday, he had been put in a concatenation of events that would have brought a lesser man to madness…ok, perhaps this was a big way to put it, but one could imagine the picture.

Especially, his angst last night had been the particular moment in which he had felt that he could avoid completely if he had possessed some more caution. When he had lamented to Yakumo-sensei about his fear of losing control and causing mayhem in the city, he remembered his eyes were on the brink of leaking tears of frustration.

'How embarrassing…' That was the only thought that permeated Naruto's mind first thing in the morning. It was so frustrating that whenever it crossed his brain, all he could do was holding his face with his hands in regret.

Just like the position he was in this exact moment.

Hopefully Yakumo-sensei wouldn't use this card against him, after all last night he had had the aspect of someone who understood other's anguish and could become an understanding individual by not bringing them up.

But then again, Kokonoe Yakumo could be both a good person and a trickster, someone who didn't hesitate slightly in using whatever resource to overwhelm people, justifying his actions with his catchphrase 'I'm a Shinobi, 'whatever action' is about what I do.'

Naruto had no doubt that today, despite the serious personality that he had adopted before the ceremony the blonde had undergone the day before, the monk would have fun in presenting his crying moments to Tatsuya and Miyuki, who were about to come here, and therefore ruining the already bad image that he had made for himself during the first day of school. Naruto dearly hoped that Yakumo-sensei had the compassion expected from someone of his profession, so to spare him the embarrassment.

Just then, a single knock on the wood frame of the sliding door of the room pulled him out of his thoughts. Naruto stared at the spot from which the sound came, and a shadow shaped like a person could be seen through the opaque paper of the entrance. The form had a figure similar to that of the monks around the temple, so he was most likely one of them.

"You can enter." Allowing him in his bedroom, the figure entered and revealed itself to be that of a tall, serious looking man. He was wearing the usual attire that Yakumo also donned, albeit in a different color. It was a grey monk's robe that hanged rather loosely on his body, but it didn't hide the muscle underneath the clothing. His hair was completely shaven bald like everyone else and only a diagonal scar on his right side of the head was noticeable. Other than that, the only thing which also stood out was the excessively serious expression in his eyes, so stern and rigid.

"Naruto-dono, Sensei sent me in order to lead you to him. Please prepare at once, he was rather urgent." He utilized a formal and respectful tone, going as far as calling him with such an honorific. The monk was obviously older in both appearance and age, yet he was acting as if a subordinate in front of a higher rank official.

"No need to be so formal, Sentoki. Just Naruto is fine." As he soothed the bald apprentice, the blonde freed himself from the blanket wrapped around his body and got up from the soft futon on which he was laying. Now that he paid more attention to his surroundings, everything in his bedroom was definitely upgraded: the few holes that stood out on the walls were now gone, and the strange smell that he had heard some time ago extinguished. A few changes here and there, his room was definitely habitable and comfortable this time if compared to the horror that was days before.

Not missing the wondering look on Naruto's face, the now named Sentoki explained the modification which his chamber was subjected to: "Naruto-dono, after the ritual Sensei had ordered us to make this a more appropriate place for your rest, so we took liberty in transforming this place to a more comfortable room. If you miss anything, you may simply ask us for it."

In response to that, the blonde only glanced around more, honestly amazed by the better disposition of the furniture decorating the once bland place. There were even a few weird accessories like a scroll hanging on the wall opposed to his bed that had written on it, with beautiful kanji, some ideograms which spelled the word 'discipline' or 'enlightenment' and similar stuff scattered in a tidy manner.

Naruto felt thankful at this, really. The order that the monk had mentioned was to make this a comfortable place for him to sleep in, they weren't obliged to act without necessity and decorate it with these many optional objects.

Compared to his rather uneventful awakening, this change was certainly welcome and much appreciated. The blonde felt gradually happy at this development.

"You didn't need to…but I have to thank you for it. It's pretty cool, Sentoki! Much appreciated!" With only honesty laced in his tone and words the whiskered blonde muttered, still amazed, at the kind gesture of the apprentices of the temple.

"It was a pleasure." Sentoki too, he wasn't exchanging useless pleasantries without any need or for mere formality. With a small smile forming on his lips, he spoke a short response. All he said was true and genuine, they were the ones thankful for having been helpful "Now, if you wouldn't mind, Sensei is waiting for you."

"Ah!" Naruto made a small sound as he remembered the reason for which the apprentice came this early in his room. It wasn't certainly for a discussion in which they did nothing but praise and thank each other. He came to bring him to the master of this temple.

With a silent nod, the blonde quickly grabbed a pair of black pants and a dark shirt that had seen better days, scattered in a messy way on the floor despite the rearrangement of the monks, and without any thought quickly wore them on his muscular body. He made no question about why he was sleeping soundly while nude and why Sentoki wasn't bothered when Naruto was staring around his room and talking without anything covering him. It was definitely better to remain in ignorance of the reason.

Now donned in simple and practical attire, Sentoki wordlessly left while making a gesture saying 'follow me'. In silence too, the blonde quickly trailed at his side and together they began to walk towards the location in which Yakumo-sensei was supposed to be.

While doing so, Naruto wondered why the apprentices were so respectful towards him and always appeared to follow his steps during the training that they were undergoing as Shinobi Monk, or whatever name they were showing off. And luckily, one was right here, near him, so might as well ask, right?

"Sentoki, why do you guys respect me so much. Am I so awesome? I mean, I understand the feeling that one should feel towards me…" Leaving aside the way he self-appraised himself, the whiskered student's question wasn't so senseless and had a meaning attached to it.

If the warrior monk seemed perturbed or annoyed by the narcissistic way with which the man he respected complimented himself, he for sure did not show any sign of it. His expression a mask of steel, he truly fit the term of 'Practitioner of Austerities'.

"Naruto-dono, it appears you don't know about how you are 'awesome' and are not aware of your popularity in this temple." His steel did not melt completely, but using his sharp sense Naruto caught a small smile of amusement forming on his rigid mouth that usually never budged of a single centimeter.

Popularity? What was he saying? Among clan members, he was all but charismatic, it was the total inverse. Other Shinobi did all they could to avoid his presence and he was treated like some sort of plague that infected everyone nearby.

"Popular? You must be jesting…isn't it more like infamous?" Tilting his head to the side, a dumb look made its way on his face and a questioning glint shined in his eyes.

Reaching a corner, Sentoki walked around it and merely nodded at the confused aura that covered Naruto: "Please don't belittle yourself. Yes, popular. Yakumo-sensei told us of many tales about your prowess in battle. Despite not reaching a superior attitude in Taijutsu, you abundantly compensate with your mighty physique, instinct and destructive Magic."

All previous doubts that the blonde might have harbored were immediately dispelled. Eheh…well, they weren't all that wrong. Yes, yes! He wasn't a genius as a martial artist, but he was definitely a prodigy in combat. If he was so famous and possessed so many devoted fans, he didn't desire to change their opinions. Uzumaki Naruto was definitely pleased by this revelation.

"Many says that you can obliterate the tip of a mountain with a single flick of your finger"

The blonde's joy that previously swirled inside him was like a fire extinguished with an exorbitant amount of water.

...that was way too excessive! What the hell, disintegrating a mountain?! These tales were quickly transforming into an urban legend of him being some kind of deity that manipulated the supernatural! With a flick of his finger?! Maybe he could cause wide area destruction, but doing it with the small strength that a single finger had was highly improbable! He needed to correct them as soon as possible or the rumor would spread like the blood on his uniform from the 'incident' yesterday!

"Ehm…listen, I think you guys misunderstood something. You are assuming wrongly." He immediately corrected the view that they had of him. They would be disappointed for sure, but if he did not take action he was fearful that one day, when he woke up and went to have breakfast, those monks could begin to worship him in a similar manner to the student body's admiration towards Shiba Miyuki.

Or perhaps he had read too much manga and his imagination was, as a consequence, swelling like a balloon and inflating his ego.

Much to Naruto's relief, the bald monk did not believe in such false rumors, evident by a sound that came from his mouth. It was weird and unusual, but Naruto assumed rightly that it was a way for him to agree with his words: "Of course, that is just absurd. There is a limit to naivety and I made an attempt in correcting them, but at that point they just assaulted me and tried to 'change my ways'."

"What the…!?" Did he hear right?! The situation was already this scandalous to the point where his 'devoted' were going to physically lynch any other 'heretics'. Naruto would be honored at such a treatment if he wasn't more worried in what he was being told "They didn't actually do anything, I hope!"

As a response to his worried exclamation, a graceful snort was emitted by Sentoki, who was just looking ahead of him with an amused expression while reminiscing back in the near past: "Worry not. I have enough confidence in my Taijutsu and the ability to back it up. I dare to say that I can actually challenge Tatsuya-dono, Sensei and you. I would not be able to emerge victorious, but I think it won't be that easy anyway." And now his steel mask was put away and in its place was a prideful and battle-hungry smile, indicating that he wasn't being cocky or arrogant in any way.

In fact, Sentoki was an apprentice here because he still assumed that his own abilities weren't rising at the proper pacing and simply underestimated himself, despite the fact that he had appraised his skill before. His evaluation of himself was something along the lines of 'I'm better if compared to the other apprentices, but not good enough'.

He was held in high-esteem by the Close-Combat Division in the Uzumaki Clan, considering the bald as a prodigy that in a pure spar without any tricks or disloyal moves would most of times win with little efforts. At the young age of 20, this guy was way better than most of the Taijutsu fighters in the world and could, as he mentioned, give a hard time to Naruto, Yakumo and Tatsuya. Even if it was only in simple martial arts, that was nonetheless worth of praise and not to be dismissed by any means. More refined Taijutsu meant a masterful control in Body Techniques.

Although, Naruto had no shortage of self-esteem and evaluated himself as strong, therefore hearing a challenge such as this made it so that his blood boiled with excitement at a possible fight: "Oh? If you say so, I won't doubt you. Perhaps you could honor me with a spar sometime."

Naruto put an unnecessary provocative accent in his undertone, so he was worried that Sentoki would react badly at how the blonde expressed his challenge. It wouldn't be a first time for him to be misunderstood.

But fortunately for the blonde, what he received was an equally strong and firm gaze differing from the steel mask that usually took place in the monk's face. His features were still rigid even while his expression didn't hide his joy: "It would be a privilege. Although I'm rather vulnerable to underhanded tactics, so a regular round would be preferable."

Naruto didn't have any particular problem with that. As a Shinobi, he did what was necessary for the sake of his current objectives, both in mission and life, but there were occasions in which his blood as a Magician surpassed his duty as a warrior of the shadows, so once in a while he pursued the aspiration of a good battle in order to show his superiority in fighting skills.

It wasn't necessarily blood lust, just plain and simple excitement at the prospect of a strong warrior and the chance of defeat it.

If it was just a spar that held no hidden meaning and merely for the fun of it, the blonde wholly agreed with Sentoki's words and wouldn't actually tolerate any dishonest moves himself: "Yes, I assume that a nice, normal battle can be good once in a while. Tomorrow I will wake myself earlier, so we can do it then."

The pair, after their conversation, finally reached the front of the temple where they resided. Now that the darkness could do nothing in hindering his sight, the blonde Shinobi was able to take a good look at the residence he currently habited in.

The area was really vast, stone plates covering the entire ground. The wood hallways that he had previously walked through with Sentoki weren't limited to the front entrance and even surrounded the entire training ground. Yet, all these matters were lost on the blonde's mind.

Last night he had been too busy in being freaked out from the eerily atmosphere which was constantly present in the forest, blowing through the woods like wind, but now that he paid more attention to the details, he noticed. The green towers, the trees standing tall were very similar to the vegetation flourishing back in the island, releasing a relaxing aroma which instantly calmed his mind and gave him a nostalgic sensation.

This was apparently their destination and where Naruto was supposed to meet Yakumo-sensei, but after waiting a bit longer the whiskered student was perturbed. Simply looking around he could not detect any presence at all, only the wind and leaves dancing in the wind were moving and no sign of his landlord could be seen.

He tried to expand his senses without the aid of Magic, a basic technique that could be learnt by even the children of his Clan. He simply concentrated more on his body and replicated the feeling of expanding it like a balloon, but it was no use. He couldn't notice a single human presence beside that of Sentoki and the other monks. The one he was searching for was that perverted baldy and he was the guy he couldn't specifically find.

"Damn, where the hell is that idiot?" The blonde Shinobi wondered to himself while scratching his messy hair. He intended to murmur it at a low tone, but instead he wasn't so discreet and did so aloud, therefore catching the attention of Sentoki. The warrior monk stood behind in a respectful manner, his arms crossed behind his back. His expression wasn't that of the martial artist who sought joy in battle but rather reverted to that of a steel mask that hid his true feelings as a 'Practitioner of Austerities'.

"So…is this supposed to be some kind of test?" Naruto felt unconsciously awkward in the presence of this sort of individual. When the two had been still talking, he had actually felt comfortable due to discovering a similarity between them and thus able to converse in relaxed manner. So, now that the scarred priest gained back his serious attitude, he obviously preferred the other one.

"Correct. Sensei instructed me to bring you here. He is currently hidden in one of the trees of the forest surrounding us. You are not allowed to use Magic and must only trust your own senses. He allowed the use of Body Techniques." As his recently made friend continued to explain the limitation and obligations of this 'test', Naruto could only bring himself to groan at this troublesome development.

What was Yakumo-sensei's aim? Was there any reason for pushing him to do this or was it a whim that the bald had to rid himself of? He dearly hoped that Yakumo-sensei didn't act like this without a reasonable thinking behind it, or he would pay with something far more important than money.

Well, complaining would do nothing to better his situation. Accepting this exam that required him to use only his senses and forbid him from using spells, Naruto barely paid attention to the voice of Sentoki wishing him luck. It was rather rude, letting him leave without even a proper response. Naruto reminded himself to apologize later, after he kicked Yakumo's ass diligently.

Mentally, the blue-eyed teenager proceeded with the reflection about how searching for the guy which was blending in the surroundings, what sense would be the most effective to employ and expand.

Utilizing his eyes was probably the most stupid tactic he could think about. After all, hiding from the view of the opponents was the basic of the basics when dealing with a Shinobi's enemies. Also, no matter how hard he hardened his sight, Naruto would probably just waste time.

Perhaps sharpening his hearing was a good option, but after thinking about it for a split second, abandoning this method was better. The wind was blowing rather strongly, brushing against the numerous plants that formed the big forest. The leaves produced a rustling sound and that would hinder heavily his ears if he decided in enhancing his hearing.

The sense of touch and taste…ok, a ridiculous scenario just unfolded inside Naruto's mind. He didn't know how improving his ability to feel with skin would assist in his searching, actually it wouldn't help him at all. So, discarding touch there was taste, the skill that allowed in perceiving the flavor of food and seasoning.

…licking the ground or the mud in an attempt to accomplish anything was ridiculous, he wouldn't even try. Not to mention, Yakumo-sensei was probably monitoring his movements and decisions. If Naruto allowed that blackmailer to gain such a powerful card against him, he would be ruined for life in case the information of the blonde licking the sacred ground of the temple was circulated. Even the monks that respected him to the point of violence would ridicule his self or maybe ignore him, they were both bad options.

Strongly refusing such a dreadful scenario, the single option remaining actually lighted a bulb on top of Naruto's head, indicating how he was able to found a solution to this stupid test.

Ignoring everything around him for a moment, Naruto discarded all the troubles and worries he had about mundane matters and other things, right now he had an important task to accomplish.

He closed his eyes to eliminate the sight. He put his fingers in his ears to cover his hearing. He attempted to immobilize his body and become one with nature to weaken his ability to feel the touch one could always feel on the skin.

The human body, when not possessing one of the five senses, concentrated all its potential into the remaining ones. That was also how cripples and handicapped were able to somehow cope with their disabilities and enhance themselves. A blind person that unconsciously expanded hearing in order to grasp the world through sound waves was the most common example, an individual who did all for keeping up with others.

Of course, this sort of ability couldn't be born in a few seconds. It happened with time, and Naruto didn't have the luxury of waiting a few months. But with the Body Techniques, that kind of 'miracle' could be achieved immediately.

In this era, modern technology and medicine were now fully capable to reach heights which were once thought impossible. Now even what was considered impossible in the days of the past was now fully conceivable. Perhaps diseases like cancer and AIDS were still difficult to overcome, yet simpler ones were easily overwhelmed and thus many lives saved.

This way, though, people had forgotten. People had started to rely on the wonders of technology and science, forsaking everything else during the last few centuries. Guns had stolen the place of swords, cars had replaced horses. And years later, even Magic had become that which surpassed all means, rendering gunfire mundane in the same way that the previous weapons had been discarded.

Humans forgot that they were blessed with a body more complex than any other machine, didn't remember anymore the techniques to manipulate it and bring forth miracles that were now only achievable with spells.

Ancient Magic users were among the exception. They endured the scorn of clinging onto their old tradition and fundamentals, shrugging the derision of others while improving their arts every day. They were the 'tradition carriers' that continued these crafts.

There was a valid reason for which the Uzumaki Clan stood tall amongst the few remaining old clans. The family was essentially the best when concerning the control of the human body, not reaching the peak of physical condition but surpassing the limitation that the brain created in order to preserve its life.

Despite how despised and feared he was among them, Naruto was still a member of this prestigious clan. It would be a disadvantage and shame for him to not even know the simplest of these 'arts', so he had done his best and slightly struggled in order to gain the skills, but in the end he obtained almost each of them.

This 'Expansion of Senses' had many names, new ones were even currently sprouting, but as explained before this technique consisted in shutting off four of the five senses that a person possessed while accelerating the adapting process through which disabled were capable to strengthen sensations.

The blonde had chosen to momentarily discard sight, hearing, taste and tact. These were currently useless in his tracking of Kokonoe Yakumo. What he was amplifying was the ability to smell the scents.

He decided in utilizing this method due to the elementary selection by elimination from before. Others way to search for that guy would eventually prove useless or unnecessarily tiring, so this was his remaining procedure.

Naruto enlarged and shrank his nostrils repeatedly, following a rhythm. From an outsider's view, the show would certainly categorize as unsightly and ugly, similar to a dog sniffing out others. It was a thing to witness an animal in this act, but the scene of a human being taking such role was…the Uzumaki was just glad that no one was present apart from him and Yakumo.

Also, he dearly hoped that the bald bastard wasn't presently in possession of a device that allowed him to capture this moment.

After a short time, Naruto was finally done with the process. Forsaking the other burdens, his sense of smell reached extraordinary pinnacles. Leaving behind a few familiar smells, such as that of grass being cut and the strange yet nostalgic fragrance of the flora living in the forest, Naruto was able to pick a definitely unfamiliar smell amongst all the mixtures.

Immediately after breathing it in, his nose twitched as if a needle stung him. It was a little on the acid side…wait, was it perhaps shaving foam? To his knowledge, Yakumo-sensei was a stranger to those kinds of products, heck he was always without a trace of hair so he had never thought that he would use that sort of stuff.

Anyway, the pungent smell definitely gave him a trail. It was hard to not notice it in the first place, so the blonde actually felt ashamed that his nose wasn't able to register the odor naturally without the aid of any technique. Maybe Naruto had a hunch about what was the reason of this seemingly useless test.

When the blonde opened his eyes again and took off his fingers acting as plugs from his ears while moving his body to regain the sense of tact, the scent gradually weakened and the stinginess that previously picked on his nostrils receded. If he did not hurry at once, he would lose the trail and therefore forced to repeat the process.

He had, give or take, from eight to ten seconds. Even while using the ability to enhance his senses, he could easily tell that the origin from which the smell came from was a little far, probably requiring the blonde to venture in the woods. Also, despite its particular strength, that trail was still mixed with the plants' ones, therefore it could easily wilt away.

He did not have much time remaining and while the trace was available, it would disappear because he couldn't make it early enough.

Yet, that would have been a complicated problem for a normal human. A Magician could resolve the issue with simple Movement spells, but since it was forbidden from the exam that option couldn't be pursued for the Shinobi.

Though, Naruto was part of the Uzumaki Clan, which specialization found itself in the human body. Aside from the arts that allowed them to strengthen everything related to it, it was an obligation to possess strength, endurance and agility able to overwhelm the outsiders'.

Thus, running a few hundred meters and shortening the distance between him and the scent's origin would be a piece of cake for the whiskered Shinobi, barely worth of notice.

Still following that smell even while constantly scattering around and losing its stinginess, Naruto kneeled down like a cat. His thighs engrossed horribly, as if swollen by the strength in them. The blonde's body became a cannon ball, dashing from its previous position in front of the offerings' box. The gap separating him from the walls dividing the sections of structure and nature was shortened in a mere second, unbelievable to the normal eye.

A man, without the aid of Magic, wasn't supposed to have these capabilities. That was a common thought that would have been shared by all the bystanders if there were any. But to Shinobi, what just happened was achievable with resolution through rigorous training, if one hardened its body to the limit anyone could do such a feat.

The blonde didn't stop there. As if a black and yellow flash, his speed surpassed the limitation imposed on humans once again. This time his fingers dug into the eaves on the top of the walls, prominent muscles visible from under the sleeves enlarging due to his bulging arms. Assisted by the physical strength of his limb and the momentum he had gained with the initial burst of velocity from before, Naruto not only leaped over the wall but was able to land on a thick branch belonging to one of the many trees populating the green area.

Following that, it was only a repetition of the same movements. Once in a while attempting to sniff out more of the scent that surely belonged to that bald, the blue-eyed blonde continued his performance that just proved his immense physical prowess in confront to normal human…no, even Magicians. He leapt on a branch of a tree, then without wasting the momentum gained from each of his jump used it to shot his body to another place.

It barely took ten seconds to do all of these movements. Despite so, Naruto was not some sort of superhuman fueled by mysterious energy born from the fusion of physique and mind, and therefore he had to catch a few, small breaths from the fresh air surrounding him. Although all those jumps and change of directions were a little strenuous, that didn't spend too much of his stamina.

That meant he had enough to kick Yakumo's ass.

Before him stood a rather imposing tree, but by the standards of this forest it wasn't too big or too small, just average. Still, the highest part of it was more than enough to overview the entire training ground on the front gate of the temple, other places were either too far or too short in height. The smell was now already out of his reach and dispersed in the air, so his choices were now limited to inspect the peak of this tree or give up and admit his defeat.

But now that he had gone to such length, wasting precious minutes of sleep, there was no way that he would humiliate himself by surrendering. He had his pride!  
>Resolute, Naruto once again relied on his skill and used it to easily climb the tree, jumping in order to reach the edges formed on the wood surface. Even if they were small and unreliable, this was still within his range of ability, so he had no problem in immediately using them as a lever to bring his body higher and higher until he finished pm the top, a bush of leaves covering it.<p>

Now the stinging odor of shaving foam was once again entering his nostrils, eliciting an annoyed reaction from the Uzumaki, who was now certain that the monk he was searching for was here.

Indeed, a shiny, hairless head appeared from the bush of leaves in clear contrast with the dark green of the plants. Slowly, more of the body emerged, accompanied by the rustling and finally the entire shape of Kokonoe Yakumo was before his eyes, a goofy smile broadening on his expression while sending strange gestures that vaguely sounded like 'good job'.

"Not bad, Naruto-kun! You are still-GEBOOH!?" His cheery tone was promptly interrupted from a punch directed to his smiling face, lightly slamming him against the branch they were precariously standing on. He did not fall because of the impact from the blow but simply for the loss of balance.

The offender, who was needless to say Naruto, didn't go out at all with his hit and it could be even compared to a finger poke. He did not take any stance or put any tension beforehand, after all they were still stepping on a branch of a dangerously high tree. A single misstep and a sickening, splashing sound would echo amongst the woods. As much as he was currently pissed, the blonde surely did not desire such a fate for his teacher.

Said teacher was currently showing his dramatic side, gesturing wildly while shouting profanities and shaking the platform they were both on.

Seriously, he had to stop or he wouldn't get an explanation for all this hassle he was forced to endure first thing in the morning. Also, despite not suffering from acrophobia or anything similar, the Shinobi was starting to suspect that the irrational fear of heights would build into him if Yakumo-sensei's childish attitude didn't halt at this exact moment.

"Come on, stop this stuff…it's embarrassing for both of us." Naruto said while doing his best to not get angry. He had fortunately reminded himself that while the seal just got strengthened last night, it meant little due to Yakumo's inexperience with Mental Interference Magic. If he was not careful, his fears could actually materialize in a dreaded reality.

This was most likely noticed by the monk too. When he caught the blonde's look, a flash of understanding and seriousness replaced his immature personality, his brows furrowing meaning that he was ready to start a serious conversation.

"Mm…first of all, I have to say good morning! You probably did not have a good night, did you?" The monk's voice still had fragments of glee in it, these never truly disappearing.

"Yeah…first I had to argue with that idiot, almost leading me into a trap. For once, Fortuna smiled at me and made it so that Rossa beat up that bastard for me." Huffing at the reminder of what happened in his dream, Naruto made a clicking noise with his tongue at the manifestation of his murderous intent and what it entailed while the monk gave him a look of understanding.

Though, Yakumo also frowned slightly at what he just heard, barely enough of his expression hidden to not alert the blonde. He was not displeased at his past disciple meeting his other self, but it was because the blonde did not yet accept it.

Dark Naruto, that was how everyone who knew deeply about the matter named it, had been with the blonde since birth and had separated from him a few years ago. The fact that the blue-eyed boy refused with insistence about not accepting it was rather discouraging, each time he had proposed this option and tried to convince him to undertake it Naruto would get angry and storm off somewhere. Therefore, saying something along the lines 'accept it' would just aggravate the blonde and worsen the situation about the seal.

He had contacted the headquarters of the Clan after he had concluded the ritual last night. The ritual itself had been complicated and surely not a load of fun. He had been forced to gather the veteran disciples and the ones who had just finished their own training to improve his chances in successfully imprison that rampaging berserker. Dark Naruto was specifically excited since the Magic that confined it was going to be dispelled, but that had also proved to be their salvation. Along with its glee, that guy had also grown smugger and thus had underestimated the Practitioner of Austerities grouping together with the purpose of restraining it, and thankfully they had been able to.

Regarding his telephone call to the main island, the goddess of fortune had apparently blessed not only the blonde but also the perverted priest. Yakumo had made sure, as in checked several times while even opening his eyes to match the size of seeds, which was already too much for him, to dial the number of a certain Guardian responsible for the safekeeping of Naruto. When someone had picked up, the bald monk had blown a sigh of relief before communicating the alarming news.

Obviously, as expected of that overprotective bodyguard, Haku had started to grow hysteric and scream in anger, putting all the blame on the outsiders, saying that they were only able to hurt others. Not that he had been far from the truth about them being responsible for Naruto's state, Yakumo was also restraining himself from beating up all the 'Blooms' composing First High School, but the bodyguard had been far too fast when concerning opinions about the outsiders, always leaping for the most biased judgment.

Anyway, what Yakumo had been most relieved about was that no random member of the Clan had picked up the phone. While he could have easily said something about the matter being strictly private, Haku belonged to the elite forces of the Combat Division and therefore no beginners would dare to breach the Guardian's privacy. Thus, if another one other than the bodyguard answered him, if the monk had lied he would have been detected and the discussion could quickly degenerate into a mess, with Naruto's dilemma being discovered.

A low number of individuals actually liked the whiskered blonde, everyone else only tolerated him, straight out ignored him or publicly despised him. With that sort of hate circulating around, in the case someone who felt these feelings towards Naruto conversed with Yakumo about the seal, the help he had requested would not come and that would have complicated things even further.

But probably no sane Magician that belonged to the Uzumaki had the guts to do such an outrageous betrayal. If the current leader, Naruto's grandmother, discovered that this little piece of information had been hidden from her, the culprit would suffer a hell in earth comparable to the most painful torture ever practiced in the whole history of humanity.

"…kumo-sensei!"

That was just how much the current leader of the Uzumaki Clan cared for her grandson. In clear contrast to how she felt towards the others-

"Hey, listen to me, Ero-Monk!"

"I told you to stop calling me that!"

The outraged response from the bald priest was almost automatic, as if engraved on his consciousness and programmed to react at that particular insult mechanically. That wasn't too far from the truth, actually.

"…you weren't listening to me at all, were you?" Naruto asked in a quiet voice, not exactly angered by the fact but not exactly enthusiastic either. He had been calling at his former teacher for a while now and he wasn't deigned of even a grunt or anything else. It was mildly irritating, this feeling not exactly a good sign in his current situation.

"…I'm sorry, really." There was no falseness or sarcasm in his voice, his inflection wasn't altered either. From the lips of the usually easy-going monk came an honest and genuine reply. He wasn't mustering any excuse, this time he had gotten distracted and neglected the questions that the blonde had to ask him. Since it was his fault that Naruto had to wake up early even after that sealing ritual, it was Yakumo's responsibility to get serious "I was thinking of last night since it was a pain in the ass."

Naruto was taken aback when hearing this reply. He was so used to this guy's antics that he was already prepared in receiving a response in the form of a half-assed response. He had even followed the instructions of the so called test in order to take his annoyance out on Yakumo, but seeing him regretting his action was relieving and made him frown on his own actions a little.

"W-well…I guess this is okay. Jeez, you always catch me off guard. Anyway, I wanted to ask…"

"The test I made you undergo through, I suppose."

As always, the blonde did not even finish his statement before being gently interrupted by the warrior monk's gentle enigmatic expression, meaning that the Practitioner of Austerities was already in tune with him and understood what Naruto wanted to question him about.

"Yeah, I hope it's something important since it's so early in the morning. I somehow have a theory, but let's hear about it." The younger Shinobi nodded while overviewing a good portion of the city from the seated position he had taken before.

The temple, like most that were built in a Japanese style, was situated in a small hill fairly taller than the majority of the buildings that encircled the forest. Just from the training ground of the temple you could look at a nice outlook of the city, so since both of the Shinobi were sitting with crossed legs on the highest branch of one of the tallest tree of the hill, that alone permitted them to easily see almost all the town.

Naruto mentioned that the bald had to have a reasonable justification for his behavior, after all the sun had not yet rose completely. He had said so, but the truth was that the fact Yakumo was being so serious and not even cracking a lame joke to lift the mood, that fact was enough to convince the blonde that all of this wasn't some useless prank useful only for worsening his already grumpy mood.

"More than important, I guess it's a reminder." Finally, Yakumo answered one of the questions planned to be forwarded by his former disciple. Yet, what Naruto received was only more confusion than before.

He expected the answer to clear his mind from his curiosity, but probably the monk didn't finish, so naturally he let him continue.

"Say, Naruto-kun…how hard was it?" Yakumo knew that he could have simply went straight to the point of the matter, but he first desired to know if the blonde was already aware of what he meant.

"Hard, you say…you mean tracking you from the temple to here." He was a little bothered by the reversal of roles. Why did he have to receive question instead of presenting them? He was growing steadily impatient, but since he knew this was one of his flaws, he digested the small irritation igniting in himself and answered "If I am to be honest, it wasn't that simple. Well, I wasn't allowed to use Magic, so obviously I had to get clever and use a Body Technique. Despite that it was unusually hard. It has been a long time since I have done anything like this, so…"

Naruto left the statement hanging not purposely in order to irk the monk in front of him. This wasn't because he didn't want to answer him, it was because they were already close enough to know the meaning of each other's phrases even without finishing their own statements.

A silent comprehension connected both of them, both agreeing on a single truth.

Uzumaki Naruto was a lot weaker than before. Strength, endurance, agility, senses and reflexes were definitely lower when compared to three years ago.

This didn't absolutely imply that he wasn't able to handle any threat, regardless of the danger it carried or any relevant factor. Even now, he was perfectly able to overpower most of the Magicians in his school, if not all of them. But that wasn't the point.

For the purpose of searching the hidden location of Kokonoe Yakumo, the blonde had been pushed to use the technique aiming for the shutting of four senses possessed by the human body in order to boost the remaining one over the limits. That way, he had been granted a successful method in discovering the monk's spot.

But…if it was some years ago, Naruto wouldn't have needed this at all. He wouldn't have been in need of a Body Technique augmenting his chances, it would have been useless to even try.

That was because the past Naruto's natural senses could have been able to search for the hiding spot of Yakumo without any aid from other sources, just by using his own outstanding instinct. He was above petty abilities that permitted the enhancement of one's hearing or smell, a few years ago he would have been perfectly capable to track the priest in a few seconds.

"Naruto-kun, I'm sure it's useless since you already know but I'll say it anyway." The monk caught the attention of the blonde while staring at him with a calm expression "You've gotten rusty. You pale in comparison to before."

Hearing this blunt, yet truthful statement, the blue-eyed student could only grumble quietly. He didn't have any retort to present, after all this wasn't effort aimed to mock him or anything of the sort. On the contrary, Yakumo was most likely concerned about the matter of him not being on par with his past self.

"Yeah, that's right, but it's not a big deal. I'm sure I can kick asses even in this state, so I don't exactly get the issue." Naruto was not overly concerned with his current situation. He had things far more problematic for now, for example that crazy guy dwelling in his brain.

Yakumo too couldn't deny that this action of his, putting the blonde in an exam to judge his present capabilities, was perhaps useless after all. He didn't allow him to use Magic and that had severely handicapped him, limiting the numerous options he could have taken. Also, there was a low probability that he would have gone against Magician of the caliber of this Practitioner of Austerities, few had the sneaking skill possessed by him.

Despite all of these reasons, Yakumo had the ominous foreboding that Naruto, with his usual luck regarding enemies, was going to have more than one encounter with troubles ahead of him.

"I don't doubt your ability, but I'd like for you to sharpen yourself again. You should train with us from now on, you are more than welcome." The priest was still uneasy in leaving his former pupil in this 'vulnerable' state, so he thought of a rather easy solution.

Having Naruto participate in the harsh training that the apprentice monks and even him were undergoing. Despite the messy and irresponsible attitude of the priest, he was by no means one to slack off, especially when concerning his training as both a Shinobi and Magician. Therefore, making sure that he was in top form whenever the need presented was perfectly natural and as the blonde's temporary Guardian, he had to introduce this to him too.

"Training…" Hearing this suggestion from the bald, Naruto got in a thinking position, still seated on the branch surface while touching his chin with his fingers. The idea wasn't that bad in a whole, more than anything else the concept of training was foreign and strange to him.

He had never trained properly now that he reflected about it. While the kids of his age like Sasuke and Neji had the privilege of being taught by the best of the best in the Clan, Naruto had had to arrange himself alone and catch snippets from their exercises.

He didn't know if it was for fear or hate, but nobody at that time had been willing to approach him lightly, looking at him in the same manner you observed a beast ready to bite you at any second. That was why he had been forced to learn by himself directly on the battlefield. He didn't know how useful regular training could be, but by experience Naruto could openly admit one thing.

Knowing how to fight back, survive and kill a human in an instant. These things couldn't be engraved on your soul correctly until you scarred on yourself the very essence and terror of death.

Nobody had told him how to fight correctly. His punches and kicks were already hard like steel when he had noticed it.

Nobody had told him how to search for enemies and blend in the shadows. By the time he had thought about it, he was already sneaky like a beast in the jungle.

Nobody had assured him to not fear in taking one's life. When he had returned to his senses, a torn corpse had been already at his feet and his hands had been already stained with guilt.

That was why hearing Yakumo's earlier proposition, Naruto couldn't help but get embarrassed. It wasn't a new concept, but instead having someone say to him to join them was extremely rare.

_You are more than welcome._

"Eheh...welcome, uh...?"

The priest standing on the same branch as him smiled while the blonde was muttering to himself contently. He genuinely cared for the idiot that still got moved each time someone showed willingness in accepting him, not used to this due to how this had never happened a long time ago.

Yakumo bristled just at remembering the cold treatment reserved for the blonde, even when he had been still a child unable to walk or speak. It wasn't a personal matter for him, but nevertheless he couldn't tolerate it when he heard whispers about how the 'demon' caused another incident. Those guys were unaware that they were so wretched inside, it was only their fault for pushing him mentally into taking the responsibility for many events.

He was proud in being a better father figure towards Naruto in comparison to the real one. Witnessing the blonde smiling free of worries, not constricted in bearing the burden of his actions, alleviated the mood of the priest, who was content in only seeing the blonde happy.

It would be perfect if these days, where 'peace' was apparently reigning, continued indefinitely. Yet, as a Shinobi and Magician, he knew that humans could ultimately only bring disaster on the land of Earth.

**XxX**

"Sensei, please stop erasing your presence and sneaking up on us! We have been looking for you…"

"Telling me to not go in stealth mode, Miyuki-kun, is something I can't do. Both me and Naruto-kun are Shinobi, so sneaking is second nature for us."

Naruto sighed in exasperation for the second or third time this morning. In front of him was a girl with black hair sporting a frustrated expression, in contrast when compared to the amused look of Yakumo-sensei.

After Yakumo-sensei had finished his explanation about what sort of exercises he did in training, he had stopped when his ears had picked up the yells of pain coming from the temple ground, more precisely the front entrance. Finally, that void skull of his had remembered that he had issued orders to all of the disciples, even the ones who were about to leave due to their finished training, to ambush Tatsuya and fight him without any restraint.

Though, it wasn't much of an ambush if the victim predicted the move perfectly without even jolting in surprise. Since the first charge was made by one of the lower-class apprentices, then he had probably ruined the entire plan and decreased the chance of everyone.

Meanwhile, Yakumo-sensei and Shiba Miyuki were discussing, or more like the beautiful girl trying to bear with the irritating antics of the bald monk. Probably, the successful sneaking attempt made by him wasn't the first time and the black-haired beauty had apparently fallen to the trick many times.

Naruto just had enough of his share of ridiculous situations in the last days, so he opted to observe the exchange of blows between the prodigious fighter named Shiba Tatsuya and the other monks. It wasn't much of a battle, despite how the number of priests vastly outnumbered the black-haired 'Weed'.

Seriously, they had staffs, swords and a variety of other weapons to choose from, yet they couldn't even land a hit. Naruto understood well enough that Tatsuya's skills were well above the average, but the quantity of opponents should have thrown off his predictions at least once due to their unpredictability.

It seemed that the only one who was on par with skills and physical condition was the scarred, humble monk with amazing martial arts ability, Sentoki. He was actually keeping up with the 'Weed', both of them ignoring the amazed whistles of the other monks, who were now sprawled on the ground while groaning in pain due to the many hits they had received.

Sentoki wasn't really boasting or exaggerating when he had mentioned how he could be able to give a good enough fight to almost anyone. He seriously underestimated himself too much, the Close-Combat Division of the Uzumaki Clan wasn't needlessly humiliating itself when they had basically pleaded for the scarred priest to join its members. With that much talent, every martial artist would at least remain flabbergasted while staring at the scene.

Naruto wasn't an exception, though he certainly had a more controlled reaction if compared to the way the apprentices were gawking at him.

The blonde had a lot of combat ability, he prided himself on that and considered it his specialty. When it was about pure power, he was sure almost no one could match him. Yet, it was precisely because of this that he had no accuracy or fineness in his attacks.

His style was more like…blowing up stuff or causing excessive collateral damage, that kind of spells was what Naruto was more accustomed to. With his overwhelming advantage in the rewriting of events that surpassed every other's Magic, he usually didn't need to do anything else than casting a strong spell in his opponent's direction, wholly ignoring the fact that he may be attacked himself. He didn't require that, his strong interference and Data Interference always broke their strategy to smithereens.

One of the standards by which Magicians of the outside calculated what they named Magic Power was the Interference Strength, in other words the ability to rewrite Eidos, the phenomenon that left its footprint in the world in the form of data. When two spells were cast on the same objective, the one with the strongest interference actualized its effect, surpassing the other one.

That was one of the advantages which allowed Naruto to stand tall amongst all the other Magicians. Though, there was still the problem about how he had no talent in creating overly complicated spells that manipulated chemical reactions…they were, to say the least, annoying. The main problem was principally his inability in targeting specific individuals at once and immediately, as his Magic was mostly Wide-Area…

'_That is why I am here, Master.'_

A voice interrupted his musing, prompting him to slightly jolt in surprise. Obviously, since people usually couldn't predict that someone would suddenly talk to you as if they were inside your head.

In fact, she was literally inside his head.

The owner must have been a female, otherwise to who would the high pitch belong? Naruto was sure, or more like hoped that it wasn't that of a certain murderous aspect of him, since he didn't know how to react if someone with his same appearance had the haughty tone of a girl.

So…since there were probably only two residents inside him, the one who talked to him could only be a single entity with red, flowing hair.

'Rossa…I hope?' He used that verb since he couldn't anticipate what trick that other guy had up its sleeve. As it mentioned before, the connection between the two of them unfairly worked as a one way road, with Naruto's thoughts streaming to Dark Naruto, and fortunately not the contrary. That would mean the seal broke, definitely not a good sign.

'_Yes, it is your loyal servant. Please, refrain from confusing the words spoken from my mouth with the ones slithering out of that uncouth being.' _Naruto couldn't see the expression of the voice's owner, yet he was sure that a flash of irritation had crossed her face when he voiced his doubts about her identity.

'S-sure...forgive me.' Honestly, he didn't know what he was apologizing for. Perhaps it was more like an automatic reflex, he tended to apologize to females whenever their tone whispered a semblance of annoyance. It was better to repair the damage as soon as possible, after all.

'_As I always mention, you do not need to apologize to me.' _

Damn…and here returned her habit of always acting as if she was the head-maid of some mansion belonging to a rich, spoiled kid. The rich part wasn't that far off from the truth, but he sure wasn't spoiled and neither a kid.

Naruto was infinitely relieved by the fact that the link between him and Dark Naruto worked somehow similarly for the connection between him and the red-haired girl. Opposed to the mechanics of the Naruto/Dark Naruto bond, his and Rossa's one was made to flow in both directions. In other words, Rossa's thoughts could be sent to his mind while he could do the same with her. That was how they were currently communicating. Even so, the two of them had to think actively about what they intended to say in order for the other party to understand.

Anyway, he preferred it this way. Rossa could only know about what he wanted her to know, so it wasn't as if she basked in a pool filled with his perceptions about her. That would have been troublesome since Naruto had no desire to let her know about how he felt slightly uncomfortable with her.

That did not absolutely mean that he did not like her or appreciate the effort she put in his well-being. They knew each other for a…long time (?) and since she was basically always with him, their relationship was intimate…not that it couldn't be anything different, she was in his mind after all.

But Rossa, he didn't know why, had the same appearance of his mother, so seeing her features sank his mood to low levels. Even her behavior and loyalty towards him were too similar to _her_…

"Ehy, Naruto-kun!"

"E-eh? What?"

Just when his thoughts were shifting towards a particular woman, Naruto was grabbed by the shoulders and shook violently front and back. Needless to say, the only person rude enough to do such an action was the bald monk, Kokonoe Yakumo, whose expression indicated how much he enjoyed the moment.

"You know, it's rude to make a woman wait, especially one as moe as Miyuki-kun!"

"While I agree to the first part of that statement, the last one sounded ominously fitting for a lolicon like you…"

Not caring in the slightest or showing a straight man reaction to the monk's antics, the blonde looked over Yakumo's shoulder, the figure of a black-haired girl welcoming his blue eyes.

He did not blush like some pre-puberty kid or anything like that, despite how beautiful Miyuki was she was hardly the first woman possessing such charming proportions and features. Naruto could promptly write many names listing the females which possessed different kind of charms, it wasn't as if Tatsuya's sister was some sort of goddess descended on Earth.

Still, while he appreciated her appearance, the blonde showed wariness while approaching her. Reading her mind yesterday had revealed itself to be a terrible idea, ending up in an unpleasant situation where he had been caught in her emotions, which were all tangled up like a yarn ball. Even so, he would refrain himself from making any analysis on her personality before knowing her better.

"Shiba Miyuki, Snow Queen, Miyuki-sama, The Queen…aren't they giving you a lot of nicknames? How should I call you?" Naruto tried to make her a little frustrated with a small joke, adding a sly grin to not create a misunderstanding where he was considered a bad guy bullying her.

As expected, Miyuki blushed bashfully, a more than satisfying response for the blonde. Obviously, since all that attention the students paid to her was probably embarrassing to the point where you wanted to cover your face to not look at anyone. Yet, her aura was still considerably dignified, like a princess.

"I think calling me by my name will be just fine…would you mind introducing yourself? Yesterday, we didn't exactly have the time…"

Naruto winced at the slight reprimand in her voice, but he nonetheless followed her suggestion.

"Sure! Name is Uzumaki Naruto, you can call me anything but my family name. It's nice to meet you, Miyuki!"

She had enough tact to not mutter, right in front of him, his famous surname. The shock of finding an Uzumaki in the magical community could actually be more surprising if compared to discovering a Ten Master Clans' heir.

Yesterday, Miyuki had been quite upset about the event that had led to her Onii-sama to get scorned by the arrogant 'Blooms' ignoring his true talent. After that, another elitist had even dared to attack him in public.

She had been more than ready to utilize her Magic to freeze that student to nothing more than a block of ice, casually brushing off the consequences of such brash action. Fortunately, her beloved brother had stopped her in time for that blonde to reveal himself as an acquaintance of Yakumo-sensei, so that revelation had quelled her anger slightly. To think he was a member of the 'Strongest Ancient Magic Clan'…when she reflected about it, her reaction from back then had been overboard. To trouble Onii-sama to the point of him intervening was just...

She still did think about his reason for almost starting a full-blown fight with Onii-sama, but if she reflected about it a bit…

"…you tried to test Onii-sama's combat skill because Sensei requested it, right?" She delivered it with an exasperated sigh. It wasn't really a question, Miyuki was almost sure that the answer could be only one.

"Wow, that's spot on. How did you deduce it?" Naruto's voice was complicated. From one side he was honestly offering praise to the girl, on the other his tone dripped signs of sarcasm.

If Miyuki noticed it, she did not show any kind of irritation. Instead, she sighed once again and answered with a serene expression: "How can I say this…it's Sensei, so it's only obvious. Since he is like this, you can only expect this sort of orders from him…"

As if that statement thoroughly explained all the reasoning behind her thinking, both of them nodded sagely with an understanding look, the like of two persons finding a common enemy, which was needless to say the bald monk.

This one gawked at their discussion in amazement at their audacity. These two teenagers were insulting him in the open, disregarding his presence as if he was some annoying fly. Yakumo's instinct told him that Naruto and Miyuki had personalities that didn't clash with each other positively, since last night the blonde didn't bother in concealing his disdain for her true feelings.

'It couldn't be…!' The young Shinobi's natural dislike for her was surpassed by the annoyance he felt towards the monk! Was it seriously like that?! When the priest considered that hypothesis, he hung his head low in shame while muttering obscure words that sounded more like a thousand curses.

The two 'Blooms' still continued their conversation while brushing aside the depressed Yakumo, whose mood was sinking like a rock.

"Forgive me for almost lashing out at you yesterday…Naruto-san." Miyuki made a courteous bow while displaying a regretful expression showcasing her feelings. She wasn't really comfortable in calling a boy she barely know with his first name, but she could cope with the worry of being flattered by others and the Uzumaki could be said to possess equal prestige to one Clan from the Number System, so he probably was in tune with her about this.

Naruto observed her carefully. What particularly worsened his mood was when people faked their feeling. He could understand the reason behind the action depending on circumstances, yet it bothered him till this point.

Seeing that Miyuki wasn't hiding her true emotions about the matter, he smirked good-naturedly: "It's fine, just be careful. I heard the Public Morals Committee is brutal when the members are involved in incidents regarding Magic. I heard from my brother that the current Chief can be pretty nasty."

"Yes, thank you for the advice."

The Shinobi had the slight premonition that she wasn't particularly paying attention to him, probably because her eyes were glancing to her brother's direction…well, as long as she understood. Naruto's guts were rumbling, signifying that he wasn't that keen on believing her when she said she understood what he said. She had a nice exterior, but his stomach told him she was a really stubborn person.

…or perhaps that only meant he was hungry and required food.

The blush on the blonde's face was enough to express the embarrassment he felt when his stomach made a strange noise. There were even people around, so naturally he hanged his head in shame together with Yakumo-sensei, who didn't seem to have recovered from whatever shock he had.

He could only stare at the ground, hearing only the sound of blows from the fight between Sentoki and Tatsuya, which still raged on, and the lovely giggle of Miyuki. Her hand presented a basket which she was carrying from a while.

"Should we have breakfast?"

**XxX**

The match, which degenerated from all disciples versus Tatsuya to Sentoki versus Tatsuya, had finished some minutes ago, the winner being no one due to the equal martial arts skills of both fighters.

Truthfully, both of them hadn't finished their fight yet due to the extreme prudence they had manifested during the spar. Unwilling to carelessly approach the other contestant, in the end the battle had dragged out for too long and suddenly Yakumo had cried out in exasperation, spouting out many insults due to him being so famished as well.

Well, Naruto could sympathize with his former master. After all, this morning he had woken up obscenely early and hadn't eaten a single thing yet, so his hunger could speak in his stead. He had actually opted to stop their infinite spar, though with at least gentler words, before the monk had stolen his role.

That revealed itself to be a good thing for the blonde. Right now, they were sitting in a veranda facing a small garden decorated in Japanese style, a large but short tree being what you would notice the most. Tatsuya was munching a sandwich calmly, still wearing the plain shirt he had used during the training. Totally different was the image of Kokonoe Yakumo, who tried to keep his fidgeting composed while eating a sandwich similar to the one in Tatsuya's hands.

Of course, since they were all hand-made by his beloved little sister, who wasn't even helping herself to her own meal but instead serving her brother with tea and plates. Seriously, was this a new kind of bro-con, the obliging sibling type?

Apart from her, the only other person not filling his own stomach was Naruto, sitting in a relaxed manner while observing Yakumo. He did so because the man wasn't cheerful like always, but his personality reversed into the one held by timid middle-school boys. A rather ridiculous scene, the blonde was torn between the decisions of laughing or pitying him.

Such a drastic change occurred due to the many insults the monk had fired towards Tatsuya due to his spar prolonging endlessly. As expected, the result was far too predictable. Tatsuya did not care in the slightest, likely already used to the priest's tantrum, but the one who was already revered as the Snow Queen in First High had not taken the offenses well, even if it wasn't her business at all.

Anyway, the situation ended up with everyone being merry and all except Yakumo-sensei, whose food appeared to be suspiciously cold and covered in what looked like diamond dust of all things. He shivered once in a while, his food numbing his fingers with glacially low temperatures. He did not even dare to retort to his student's sister, when he had tried to protest about being handed a meal not made with good intents she had merely pointed him a stare that just made to monk realize what she thought about his opinions.

"M-Miyuki-kun…it's t-too cold…"

"Please, deal with it."

Yes, that scenario had already repeated itself for quite a while, Yakumo hanging on a dim hope of getting decent food and Miyuki voicing how she didn't care about it even with the polite tone she used.

"Naruto-san, aren't you hungry? Please, don't have any reserve and feel free to eat." After dealing coldly with the monk, her attitude changed to a surely friendlier one, handing him the large handkerchief on which she put the delicious-looking sandwiches.

In fact, it wasn't only the appearance, but by only smelling the blonde could tell the taste already. Yet he still hesitated, looking forth between Yakumo's miserable state and Miyuki's peerless smile.

"N-no, I think I'm okay like this…" A blatant lie, just some minutes ago his stomach had rumbled in an act of begging for food, even the Snow Queen had heard it and she had proposed breakfast for that reason. Only a fool could refuse such precisely made sandwiches, but that was exactly what Naruto was doing. 'Scary…that contrast…' was more or less why he hesitantly pushed away that feast for the eyes. It felt wrong for him to fill himself while sitting right next to a famished monk and he wouldn't be able to erase that guilt from his heart. Also, people like Miyuki who didn't flinch slightly when interacting with the now pitiful human called Kokonoe Yakumo were terrifying in Naruto's opinion.

Not that he could talk, but…

"I see…understood." Everything about her movements from her expression strongly suggested that she didn't believe a single word of the poor excuse, but it seemed she refrained from asking any other question for a principle of courtesy. They barely knew each other, so being a little reserved among each other was normal.

An awkward silence settled in the small garden. It was to be expected, since a lot of reasons could justify the atmosphere. Though, amongst them the revelation of him being an Uzumaki was surprisingly not one of them.

When Tatsuya had finished the friendly spar with Sentoki, he had greeted politely the blonde Ancient Magic user with brief words before Naruto formally introduced himself as a member of his own Clan.

The whiskered student felt slightly ashamed of having used his power on the pair of siblings right on the instant he had initiated a conversation with them. He couldn't help it, perhaps it was something his consciousness automatically inputted in his mind, even if it was unlikely.

He did not want a repetition of the first day of school, so he had avoided in concentrating actively on Miyuki's mind to not fall into that frozen hell once again. He had just used enough to perceive the slight wave of wariness the girl had felt when his real identity came out. That didn't suspect Naruto, it was probably a natural reaction as his Clan was, much to its members chagrin, famous in the Outside.

On the other hand her brother, Shiba Tatsuya, was a lot more dangerous. Not in term of Magician skills, on the surface he was just a face that blended in the crowd. Even his sister surpassed of a wide margin his abilities and frankly Naruto believed himself to be on the same, if not higher ground when compared to her.

Yet, he couldn't shrug it off, the sensation of that guy being a subject worthy of a warning note.

The first time they had met, the blonde had been caught up in the calm mood of the school, so he had clumsily forgot to activate his emotion reading skill, but in their third meeting on the temple ground he had carefully set up the preparations to do so. He did not even know why he had to pay attention in doing it, it wasn't as if Tatsuya could detect the movements of Psions and therefore notice his brain being intruded.

Despite that logical reason, Naruto's instinct had warned him that continuing his course of action would have led to dire consequences and a disagreement between him and the black-haired 'Weed', ending with the blonde being caught in his privacy intrusion.

Was this a result of Yakumo-sensei's hard training? It was a possibility, but all the bald priest did was a mere physical training in Taijutsu, that could not explain the warning his senses sent him in regards to reading Tatsuya's emotions.

Luckily, he had halted his power and refrained from doing anything, earning him only a subtle glance that hadn't been missed by the blonde. It seemed that despite stopping, his sudden retreat had made the 'Weed' suspicious of him.

At least the feeling was mutual, but that hardly relieved Naruto.

"Ah!" Out of the blue, breaking the tense mood, a high-pitched voice attracted the attention of everyone, including the already recovering Yakumo-sensei "Onii-sama, your shirt is dirty."

Mmm…it was true, Tatsuya's dark shirt did nothing in hiding the dirt staining the cloth. Well, he couldn't expect to not pay a price after all the mess he and Sentoki had made during their fight.

"You are right…" The black-haired student's voice had no worry or didn't indicate any startling inflection at this news, barely registering the fact. His eyes were just staring absently at his body.

"Then, please allow me."

After her polite statement, Miyuki retrieved from her pocket what looked like a mobile phone, one with the dials all on the touchscreen, the kind of technology teenagers liked to possess these days. With swift movements of her thin fingers, as if made from nothing, a circle with eye-catching patterns enlarged under her feet and drew itself on the ground. From that, the earth seemed to be the subject of an impossible chemical reaction, evaporating in a white shining mist and enveloping the siblings' forms.

'This is…' It was Modern Magic without doubt. The pretty mobile phone the girl took out from her uniform wasn't too much for an evidence as it was at first sight harmless. Though, that was indeed the tool that allowed the outsiders to create miracles and change the world.

This wasn't the first time Naruto witnessed the performance of Modern Magic, yet he surely couldn't say that he had seen it a lot of times. The only occasions he did were when he had participated in the exams of First High, and even then his mood had been sinking pretty low due to the comical mistreatment he had been given by Yakumo-sensei, so he hadn't paid it much attention.

His first thought about this style of Magic was that it was somehow impractical for live combat. Those CAD appeared to be ridiculously easy to break and therefore negate the ability to use spells, but on the other hand they allowed quicker Magic Sequences. The Uzumaki Clan was probably the Ancient Magic Clan possessing the fastest casting speed, but even then the practitioners were at disadvantage when compared to the tools used by the Modern Magic practitioners.

At the exam, Naruto had been able to catch up to second place in overall technical skills due to his Interference Strength and fortunately he was considered the second best in Speed. Though, that was only thanks to the easy spell that consisted in moving a block of steel and other similar test in the other demonstrations, if that hadn't been the case he couldn't predict how he would have fared.

After the glowing mist dispersed its hold on Tatsuya's body, what resulted from it was a dark shirt and pants completely void of dirt, not a single bit of dust staining the cloth, as if new from the shop. Needless to say, somehow the mechanics of that spell casted by Miyuki cleaned him.

"Thank you, Miyuki." Much to the surprise of Naruto, Tatsuya discarded the emotionless expression he always carried and switched it with a loving gaze directed to his cute sister.

"Please, this much is nothing." As a response, the representative of freshmen bowed respectfully, accepting the affection she was receiving from her sibling with a slight blush on her cheeks.

Uwaaa…seriously, what was going on with these siblings? They didn't behave at all like two blood-related persons and instead acted as if they were lovers. Just like yesterday, they had completely ignored their surroundings and an aura of love could be literally felt and seen between them.

The blonde would have liked for the Magician that stood in first place instead of him to have a better attitude than this, but he guessed that everyone had a fault or two. On the other hand her skills were superb, even that spell she had used to clear off the dust from Tatsuya's shirt had taken less of a half-second.

Wait, now that he thought about it…

"Miyuki, can you clean something for me too?" Somehow, Naruto felt that the request he made was rude and abrupt, so he attempted to use the best polite tone he could muster.

A puzzled look made briefly made its way on her visage, confused at the change of personality in her fellow student. She gave it no mind and quickly answered: "It isn't a problem at all."

Naruto sighed in relief, grateful that she didn't suddenly look at him in the same way she did that reduced Yakumo-sensei in the status he was in now. Standing up from the wooden porch on which they were all sitting on, or in case of the bald monk sulking on, he made his way to his bedroom.

When he returned to them in a record time, the blonde showed them a white piece of clothing hanging from his two hands, grabbing the shoulders area. Obviously, what he was showing them was the uniform of First High, glaringly different in the fact that blood was all splattered on it.

Understandingly, everyone including the recovered Yakumo didn't move of a single centimeter and deadpanned at the rather surprising scene in front of them. Even the usually cheery monk, who would have likely made fun at the reckless act, twitched with a gaping mouth at the blonde.

"W-w-what the hell are you doiiiiiiiiing?! What if they get the wrong idea about that?! It's as if you are asking Miyuki-kun to clean off the blood from a butcher's apron!" Screaming in a furious fit of rage, the priest leapt from his spot on the porch and rudely grabbed the collar of Naruto's shirt, trying to lift him in air to show his angriness.

The whiskered blonde didn't have any of it, bringing all of his weight down on his feet to keep himself attached to the ground. His expression was initially startled due to the sudden attack, but that soon shifted to an equally pissed off expression, careful to not get too mad: "Uhh?! You don't have any right to complain, you fox-eyed Ero-Monk! In the first place, this is totally you fault! And don't ruin the fabric, your limited finances wouldn't be able to reimburse me!"

"What, you mean this shitty shirt?! A single sandwich of Miyuki-kun is more valuable than this!"

"Ohohoh! Now you have done it!"

Both staring at the childish argument between two residents of this temple, Tatsuya and Miyuki couldn't get in to break the fight due to how ridiculous the motivation of the bald Ninjutsu user was. Also, not their business at all, but they both felt that it was their responsibility as mature persons to break the fight. Tatsuya was not a people person, so that only left the talented sister.

"Em…Naruto-san, you wanted me to clean that?" When hearing the questioning tone of the black-haired girl, the quarrel between the two Shinobi abruptly stopped in favor of holding a more civil conversation.

Honestly, the sheer amount of blood on that uniform nearly made her cover her mouth in disgust. An example to compare it to something else could be that it was used to cover the spilling innards of a patient in a hospital. When she had seen the boy yesterday, he did not have a wound that could have caused that much red to stain the cloth and now he appeared perfectly fine too, his body without a scratch. Just what in the world…

"Yeah, this is the uniform. This bald idiot here," Naruto pointed at Yakumo-sensei "basically hit my head so hard that a lot of blood went down. Did you know that the wounds on your temples can bleed profusely?"

As the blonde explained the 'accident' he had experienced yesterday, he chuckled internally at the graphic description of his previous gash at the head disgusting Miyuki, who just shifted uncomfortably at imagining such a scene.

Then he gasped too, recalling what he just said.

Crap.

He just said how he had received a large injury on the head _yesterday_ while standing here, completely fine and without an imperfection on his skin. Something was obviously wrong with that. And he was even supposed to be careful about these kinds of matters...

Looking past the Snow Queen, the blonde caught sight of her brother, his eyes slightly narrowed in suspicion at having picked up a mistake in the bizarre explanation the Shinobi had just used. As expected, not only his body but his mind was top-notch too, though you didn't need a genius to notice how inconsistent Naruto's explanation was.

"It seems that you have some interesting abilities then, Naruto." Tatsuya commented wryly, an amused smile making its way on his emotionless visage. The words weren't said with any sort of malice, but he likely understood that his miraculous recovery wasn't due to Healing Magic, as even that would have left a sign or something else.

Initially relieved at not being in risk of his power getting found out, that emotion quickly changed to a cold mindset a student shouldn't have. The blonde kept up the façade of being slightly embarrassed, but the gears on his head spun to think of an appropriate solution for his error.

He ruminated on countless answers to his own question, some being of a…questionable nature. The blonde didn't have any need to end Tatsuya's life, as that was an extremely exaggerated way to end the issue, but the idea nonetheless passed in his mind. The black-haired disciple of Yakumo-sensei didn't have, on Naruto's opinion, the nature of nosing on the business of others.

Still, an assurance for the sake of being careful wasn't rejected.

"Yeah, it appears I am in possession of interesting stuff." Naruto, his mindset highly calculative, smiled an innocent grin at the 'Weed', who did not get fooled by it for an instant. There was something fundamentally different with the blonde, something unnatural "But everyone has their own secrets and demons to bear, _Shiba _Tatsuya."

That statement seemed to be the trigger of a small reaction from the mentioned student, whose jaw jumped slightly in wariness.

This guy…his current innocence was fake and not genuine, even his words were an enormous difference from the honesty that he had displayed yesterday at school. The mentioning of that apparently healing ability of him seemed to have struck on his nerves, resulting in his threat.

From a naïve point of view, his response to Tatsuya's half-teasing wasn't angry or affronted but completely polite. Yet, everyone in this garden had lost their cheerfulness in favor of shielding themselves from the cold atmosphere fitting ominously in the scene.

The way he had pronounced the surname…Naruto had made no effort in hiding the inflation as his voice evidenced the family name Shiba. The threat made by the blonde had been clearly obvious to every single Magician currently in the scene.

'Don't snoop in my business and I won't in yours, uh…' Tatsuya thought this as the most likely possibility about what the 'Bloom' in front of him had meant. As long as they both didn't divulge each other's secrets, then their relationship would remain cordial. Tatsuya didn't particularly care for what reason this fellow student wanted to keep his power a secret, but if he thought about it there were a multitude of motives. But this wasn't the issue.

There were only two choices: accepting or refusing. And for Tatsuya, whose priority was keeping Miyuki's normal life in a serene manner, a small compromise wouldn't be a problem. The answer was painfully obvious for him.

A small, imperceptible nod was exchanged between the two, sealing the agreement. Prying further would be rude and the 'Weed', more than anyone else, understood the burden of hiding a secret with all his might, so out of personal experience and sympathy he had no intention of betraying Naruto.

With all of that done, the ominous aura hanging in the air vanished like dust in the wind, easily blown away with the hostility between the two students. Yakumo seemed to sigh in relief at something while Miyuki eyed them warily, still worried about the already extinguished situation.

As if nothing had happened, a sudden sound echoed in the area, drawing the full attention of all the teenagers who turned their head to meet the sight of Yakumo-sensei, his hands clapping loudly: "Okay, okay, shouldn't you kids go to school instead of goofing around here? Come on, shoo!"

At least this time, much to the surprise of everyone, the monk didn't say something idiotic and actually gave them a surprisingly useful advice. True, if they hanged around for some more minutes they would be late for the classroom initiation. Also, they spent far too much time with their 'discussion'.

"Miyuki, so can you clean it for me?" In all the previous heated quarrels, Naruto almost forgot to ask the beauty to use her useful Magic in order to have all the already blackened blood disappear from his pure white uniform. After all, the current status of his clothing would raise a lot of awkward questions.

"Ah….yes, please hold it in front of me." After a moment of hesitation, she seemed to break off from some thinking before agreeing in helping him. Apparently, she refuted the sole idea of touching the dirty uniform, so she asked the blonde to do it himself.

Two seconds later, the blood had lost all trace and the clothes required to identify someone as a member of First High sparkled like fresh laundry. Naruto gave nods of satisfaction, pleased with the result, before starting to put on himself the white uniform above his dark shirt, not caring about the required tie that had to be tucked under the uniform.

"Then, we'll be on our way." Tatsuya turned away while giving a small goodbye gesture to Yakumo-sensei.

"Thanks for the hospitality." Miyuki bowed in respect.

"Ahah, you can return at any time!"

The pair of siblings started to pick up their things while heading towards the gate entrance, walking slowly to wait for the blonde. He tidied his clothes, checking for any imperfection before he began to walk too.

At the same time, a hand grabbed his shoulder, stopping him in his tracks: "Here, Naruto-kun. You ate nothing this morning, so take this with you."

What was in the monk's palm was a delicious-looking sandwich, identical to the ones contained into the basket Miyuki used to bring the superb snacks here. More like, this was probably one of those sandwich, which Yakumo-sensei had probably stolen in secret.

This was certainly a nice gesture from him, offering food despite how they both had barely fed themselves anything, one might have thought nothing of it and merely thanked the priest before digging in.

But…

"…you are awfully kind today, aren't you? Did you put anything inside?" Naruto narrowed his eyes in suspicion at the unusual action from the selfish priest, who usually did something only if it granted him some benefit along the way. With how he was starving some minutes ago, Naruto highly doubted that he just offered this food to him without any hidden agenda.

"Come on, Naruto-kun. Is it so hard to believe that once I too can feel some sort of kindness in my heart?" Yakumo simply waved off the accusations with a gesture, keeping a grin on his face.

"Actually, it is. I expected you to digest that sandwich the moment your sweaty hands coiled around it."

Well, that almost summed up how poor the trust between the two was. It was a constant war of wits and tricks, trying to ruin the day of the other in the most unexpected manner.

The most likely reaction of the blonde would have been one where he refused the offer out of wariness. This was without any doubts a trap, a rather lacking one since the monk did nothing in hiding a malicious grin plastered on him.

Yet, after the favor Yakumo-sensei did for him yesterday, namely powering up the seal to keep in control that bastard, Naruto felt a certain disposition in giving more faith to the shady priest. Even the most wretched individuals could feel compassion at time, right?

Through this naïve thinking, when he grabbed the snack, the blonde did not notice the evil smile of the bald growing even further.

**XxX**

"D-damn that bastard...! He really did put something in there...!"

The result of his reckless decision was more than deserved. Naruto was perfectly aware of the dangers of trusting that fake monk when he was not serious, yet he had held onto the hope of that guy being capable of seriousness once in a while.

Yakumo did take advantage of his moment of weakness and had hidden two pills between the lettuce and meat, careful in not giving away its location. Now the blonde felt as if he had gone on a lengthy marathon, his body all stiff and tired, but at least there were some beneficial side-effects to it.

It was ridiculous to think that a drug could bring some good to you, but this one wasn't prepared with the intent to harm Naruto or anything else. On the contrary, the whiskered student felt more relaxed due to his current condition, able to close an eye in front of situations which usually he wouldn't take well.

Or maybe it could be described as him being far too tired to deal with strangers' businesses, resulting in him favoring resting instead of acting like a hero and punish the injustices he had witnessed on the way to school. For example, while waiting for a mini railcar that in these days took the place of trains and the likes, called Cabinet, Naruto had caught sight of a typical Bloom/Weed situation. Normally, he would have interfered with violence since he did not have a way with words, but that was useless as his body didn't answer to him.

He did not know if this was intended or not by Yakumo-sensei, even so although not having done anything about the injustice taking place back there, this certainly served him well.

Naruto promised himself to not get too emotional over small matters, yet after waking up from his mindscape he couldn't control his emotions perfectly and was prone to senseless outbursts. Perhaps the monk had put that drug in the sandwich to force him to not feel any sort of negative feelings such as anger or hate, which would result in the seal weakening even further from its precarious state.

…or maybe he hadn't thought about that at all and simply did it as a prank, but the blonde couldn't know it, so he left his speculations hanging.

Naruto and the Shiba siblings were now already on the school grounds. Tatsuya occasionally helped Naruto to regain his surroundings by calling him, having already noticed the blonde's drowsiness due to his handicapped senses.

Despite Naruto's healing ability, that didn't help him that much against such debilitating substances such as poisons and drugs. His body was specifically trained to be stronger than normal, but even so powerful venoms could reduce his combat skills and drop them below average.

His power, which he wanted to absolutely hide from the Outsiders, was better to be explained as something that resided in his system. Differently from his emotion-sensing skill, this one wasn't the product of Magic or innate spells but instead worked passively to maintain the human body as healthy as possible. Against poison and drugs inside the blood flow it did not much, but when faced with wounds such as internal hemorrhage and large gashes in the flesh, the cells speeded up and completed a recovery that usually would take months for others.

It had saved his skin more than a few times, but the fact that he had no special resistance against drugs pissed Naruto off. Not that much though, since as explained his tiredness prevented him from feeling anything but a slight irritation.

"Course 2 is this way." Pulling him out from his thoughts, the whiskered blonde's attention was caught by the voice of Tatsuya talking to Miyuki, indicating a floor conducing to the opposite direction of his class.

Tatsuya had told him that his class was 1-E, among the 'Weeds', so they couldn't be together for much time due to the division of students. On the other hand, the Uzumaki and Miyuki were classmates in 1-A of the Course 1.

"Understood, see you soon." In front of her brother's natural expression, she hesitated in separating from him, her face troubled at the idea of being too far away from him.

Seriously, how much of a bro-con was she? While a clingy girl was usually found cute and adorable in Naruto's standards, she was far too attached to him. Even so, he didn't understand their situation, so refraining from making any judgment would be the best.

Tatsuya waved Miyuki off before starting to go up the stairs, for then stopping abruptly, earning him a curious glance from the blonde. He turned around to stare at him, giving him a complicated look that spelled neither distrust nor irritation, unable to be read.

"Mmh…? Is there…a problem?" Unusual from his usual cheery attitude, Naruto's question was fragmented and seemed to be more like the speech of a drunk. It wasn't that much of a problem, but if he could describe this sensation it would be that his eyelids were heavy and threatened him to have him fall asleep at any moment.

Not answering or offering at least a hint of having heard him, Tatsuya kept his stillness, somehow provoking the blonde. But as he was now, he could only feel irritation, visible by him furrowing his eyebrows.

"This question may seem absurd, but listen: …if need arises, please help Miyuki as much as you can." Finally breaking his silence, the Course 2 student gave a trusting nod in Naruto's direction, greatly surprising him.

With the protectiveness Tatsuya had displayed till now, he figured that he wouldn't trust anyone with his sister's safety, preferring to keep her from dangers himself. And here he was now, asking a drugged guy he barely knew to assist in his job.

That felt…really strange. As this was a private matter for the black-haired Magician, Naruto assumed that he wouldn't ask him for something like this so soon, or ever for that matter.

"We...barely know each other. I could be some assassin hired…to kill the two of you." The blonde slowly pieced together his opinion. Tatsuya was being too careless in handing a piece of the job to him.

He said this due to his suspicion about their real family name. Their surname, Shiba, was extremely common and not that rare. It had no special connection to any of the Number Family System, so how was it that people that would usually be considered as normal were Magicians? Miyuki was a great prodigy, a genius, while Tatsuya lacked technical skills but somehow attracted Yakumo-sensei's attention due to perhaps some special ability.

But all of that was highly unlikely. Naruto did not like to admit this, but one's magical prowess depended on the lineage and most importantly, genetics. The longer a family possessed individuals born with the Magic Calculation Area, the stronger a Magician would become with each generation.

That was why he was certain that he, a member of the Uzumaki Clan, whose roots lied further than almost any existing family, couldn't be on par with two students whose family started to practice Magic for the first or second time. Therefore, the most probable chance was that their surname was a façade to hide their true allegiance, maybe one of the Numbers.

As for what he had said about the matter of the assassin. It wasn't uncommon for heirs of powerful lineages to get targeted from other countries to dwindle the total military strength available. So Naruto had introduced the possibility of him being a hit-man for all improbable it was, but he had thought that someone careful as Tatsuya wouldn't take any chances.

"An assassin, you say. Truth be told, when I first met you that was my first guess about your identity." Descending the stairs while whispering to not let anyone eavesdrops, Tatsuya confirmed "I don't trust you completely, but I trust Sensei and if he has faith in you, then I'll reconsider my theories."

Tatsuya didn't mention another hidden fact. He felt a strange sensation in his head whenever he looked at the blonde, as if he had forgotten something important about him…of course, that was ridiculous. He would remember if he had met someone as unique as the Shinobi.

Naruto was a little taken aback. He didn't know the depth of Yakumo-sensei and Tatsuya's relationship, perhaps it was more than the eyes met: "That is….incredibly careless, Tatsuya."

"Maybe, maybe not, nonetheless do you agree? I'm only asking you to keep an eye out for her, she can be incredibly careless." He didn't seem perturbed at all by the blonde's remark, accepting it as the truth since what he was doing was really dangerous.

Really…what could he say? What the black-haired student was asking him for wasn't that outrageous or unthinkable, it was instead normal yet strange for his sis-con based mindset. It was a bad idea as much as giving your child to a dude you met yesterday. Not the best idea possible.

The justification was that he said it. Tatsuya was putting his trust in him only because of the connection they both shared with the Ero-Monk, something like feeling more comfortable with a friend's friend. And since that fake priest made sure to have no backstabbers or traitors in his acquaintances list, the actions of the 'Weed' weren't that exaggerated.

"I agree…but it's not like…I can worry for others in this…state. I might not be able to save her." Naruto made his best effort in not closing his eyelids and fall asleep. The liability of that drug, while not allowing him to feel emotion too intensely, was a pain to endure. Also, it didn't do much in shortening his abilities needed in a fight, but his reaction speed and quickness of thought were probably worsened, so keeping an eye on a girl during it was a challenge.

"No need to worry, I only asked you to help. I can intervene whenever a threat comes, while Miyuki can keep herself safe." Somehow, the mentioning of his sister being in serious danger brought what could be called amusement on his expressionless face, as if she barely fit the description of a damsel in distress.

Well, with how Yakumo-sensei shivered in fear when she had glared at him, that was probably not wrong.

"So…I'm just some sort…of insurance?" That actually hurt his pride a little. If he had any will to, then acting as a bodyguard was infinitely simpler than sneaking in a military base to wipe out any living beings inside it. Or not, Naruto was far better at destroying things rather than handling something as delicate as protection.

"Perhaps, maybe it would be better if I asked you to halt her from freezing her enemies into a cub of ice." The way he casually said that made the blonde think that wasn't an unusual occurrence. Did she actually freeze people in a cub of ice?

Actually, Naruto wasn't too keen on knowing that. Ignore mode.

Still, it wasn't as if he was Miyuki's friend or anything close enough, so convincing her to not act as she wished would probably end with her turning at him with malevolent intentions.

Naruto would have refused if the mere mention of a 'job' didn't enter in his ears. Really, he had taken a pause from his duties for so much time that his condition was exactly as Yakumo-sensei described it, weakened. Not participating in a battle for so long rusted him, his body as well as his reflexes and the likes.

He had familiarized himself with the 'normal society' too much.

'A job…' What Tatsuya meant was highly unlikely to be what the Uzumaki Clan called 'missions', not involving the elimination of dangerous targets or human scum. Though, he had heard that some agencies employed members of Magic Families for jobs such as bodyguards, so what Naruto would get was probably close to it.

"…well, okay. I will stop…her from taking out her rage…too much." Accepting the proposal wouldn't be a problem. For sake, this was a school, for how much the blonde knew about it this kind of place was safe from serious harm. It wasn't as if a mysterious terrorist organization would bombard them right here, where a bunch of teenagers with superpowers resided.

A strange, relieved expression made its way on Tatsuya's face. For all he had said about his doubts towards the Shinobi, he seemed to bear some strange feelings for him, as if they had already met sometimes ago: "Thank you." And with that, he left immediately for his class, ascending the stairs.

That...was really out of character for the 'Weed'. Naruto had always thought that with his ability to read emotions he never would have problems in analyzing the personality of an individual. Probably the struggle in understanding Tatsuya came from the fact that he didn't use his skill on him yet.

Still, what the hell was his job now? Acting as a limiter for the girl to not accidentally kill the guys who could assault her?

"It seems…I'm employed…" The blonde confirmed that all of that really happened while scratching his head in confusion.

"It seems so."

Hearing that familiar voice, the Shinobi spun on his heel to look at the image of Shiba Miyuki, still standing there and not having moved of a single step from when she had talked with her brother.

"You were…here…" He meant it as a question, but that drug somehow messed up his vocal cords and the inflection of his tone made it look like as if he was annoyed by this. Well, he wasn't particularly joyful that she heard the conversation, or job interview, that Tatsuya and him did.

"I was here."

"…Tatsuya…gave me the…job."

"Onii-sama did."

Okay…while Naruto didn't mean to sound irritated by the situation, now this greatly made him feel awkward. Miyuki was just repeating every word he said, and that usually meant that the parrot party had a bad mood. Since the one annoyed was Miyuki, his danger sensors were tingling like never.

"…so…I'm your bodyguard…or guardian, whatever you think is more…fit." He tried to diffuse the situation as best as he could by stating that yes, he was now tasked to protect her, or rather protect her from exaggerating in her anger fit directed towards her opponents. Damn, after a vacation of a few months the first mission he got was not to defend the sister of the employer, but her enemies? That had to be a first. Moreover, this sort of work was more suited to Gaara, with his impenetrable shield and stuff.

Naruto stiffened when his proposal to call him however she wished backfired at him, some pieces of his statement bringing an even worse feeling into her, somehow angering her.

"My…_Guardian_, you say?" That undertone under her whisper didn't foretell any good premonition, not at all. It sounded more like the calm before the storm, a potentially highly destructive storm. Miyuki's beautiful features scrunched in what would usually produce a horrid mask of rage, but instead her face remained delicate yet troubled. These siblings really knew how to come up with complicated expressions.

"Em…sorry…?" Once again, Naruto apologized for whatever reason he deserved this treatment. As he had said before, repairing the damage done was far better than enduring all the punishment later.

Only to be ignored completely by the Snow Queen.

Finally, after a multitude of emotions displayed on her visage, the final result was a cold stare directed at no one but the blonde Shinobi, her eyes enough to tell that the core of their new-born relationship, which could have started like a cordial one, had just fell like a rock in a lake.

"You are _not _my Guardian." Like that, throwing at him that needlessly rude and heavy declaration, Miyuki's face relaxed slightly while still preserving that upset glare which remained until her body turned around, heading towards their class and leaving the blonde there.

Well, that was just great. Tatsuya trusted Yakumo-sensei, and thus trusted him too. Now, after being given a fresh job, he messed it up by some unknown means and the girl he was supposed to guard hated him all of sudden. Naruto briefly wondered if she had some issue in handling her emotions, since she was angry at him yesterday, suddenly okay with him this early morning, only for rejecting him again.

In case she really had that problem, then they were in two. The more the merrier, he supposed.

'_I believe that statement isn't supposed to work in these situations.' _A familiar voice resounded in his head, the authoritative yet gentle tone of it relaxing the blonde Shinobi, whose mind was exhausted by the speed at which the events of today went from a point to another.

'Rossa, is that…you? How come I haven't…heard from you…?' Since that little exchange of words they had on the temple, one of the presences dwelling in his mind hadn't made herself present and that worried Naruto. Did the drug perhaps damage her?

'_The pills that hateful priest administered you debilitated my functionalities along with yours, but fortunately I was able to recover quickly. The substances don't cause permanent harm, so it was within my capabilities to isolate myself from them.'_ The way she intoned the word 'priest' made it clear that she didn't appreciate how Yakumo-sensei had tricked him in eating the drugs, even if it was the blonde's fault for falling in such an obvious trap.

'If you did that...then you can dissolve the drug for me too...it would be much appreciated?'

Rossa was an inhabitant in his mind, her existence itself was more or less complicated. The only thing he knew and could account as a certainty was that her origin had something to do with his Grandmother, that she helped him greatly in his casting process during Magic and held an unwavering loyalty towards him. If he asked her to do something, she would decide whether or not to accomplish his request between how it would advantage Naruto and how much he wanted her to.

'_I...most certainly can.' _Her voice hesitated when saying so_ 'But I don't think the process would be of your pleasure, even if it isn't permanent the substances are already deeply rooted in you. The pain will be insufferable, so I suggest that letting the effect vanish on its own is the best course of action. Also, 'it' has been quiet for a considerable amount of time due to me not isolating him from them.' _

As usual, her advices had only his well-being as the core, nothing else mattered for her. She most likely didn't fabricate a lie or rather she didn't have any specific reason to do so. If what she said was genuine, then not doing anything would be more advantageous and in the case 'that guy' was kept quiet during the process it would be better for Naruto.

'I see...forget it then. I'll head to my class, don't…want to be late. Or I am already? Fuck…' After the mess he had created with Miyuki, Naruto was far more exhausted than he had to be early in the morning. 'Troublesome' like Shikamaru always lamented loudly. If it wasn't the amount of events catching up to him, then it was the drug in his bloodstream for sure.

With that said, the blonde moved away from his still position he had adopted right in the hallway, having earned many weird looks from fellow students who wondered why he was not budging from that spot and relieved ones when he stopped to do so.

After walking for a few seconds, he abruptly stopped again, a question on his mind.

...where was his class again?

'_Master, the classroom 1-A of Course 1 is on the third floor of this building. Ascend the stairs on your right and you will easily find the path.' _Thankfully for him, Rossa provided him with the location of where he was supposed to go with her obliging tone.

'Mm…thank you. I didn't know where I had to go, I planned…to have Miyuki guide me.' Needless to say, that didn't quite happen as the Snow Queen stormed off from his sight with an angered look. Seriously, what did he do to warrant such a glare from her? He was pretty sure that he did not belittle her or her brother in any way, so what was her problem?

Oh, right! Bipolarity, that girl seemed to compensate for the unsettling lack of emotions from her dear brother. What an anime thing, if he didn't know better, then those two were the main characters of a light novel focused on their relationship.

'_Master, I'd like to say something…' _Rossa somehow managed to mutter when it was her thought that was sent to Naruto. Her voice already predicted that the conversation would not be a light, cheerful one _'You shouldn't associate with that spoiled girl more than necessary.'_

Like that, the girl in his mind sent a message that clearly displayed her colossal displeasure at him interacting with Shiba Miyuki, the woman who just a few minutes ago had abruptly rejected his offer of friendship and had stared at him as if he was some sort of sexual offender.

Rossa always acted more like a maternal servant instead of a girl of his age, so maybe it shouldn't be surprising that she got all protective over his social connections like a mother did. She was also justified in her doubts about Miyuki, if Naruto's emotions weren't handicapped by the drug then he would have been enraged at such a treatment and would have proceeded in tripping her in an embarrassing pose or a similar prank.

But this wasn't his current situation, so his mind processed the information rather peacefully: 'Come on, I'm sure…that it was only a misunderstanding…we will clear up and then all friends…maybe?'

To be honest, his mental processes were now a tangled mess. Drugs tended to do that, no matter how low their danger was. Naruto tried to calm Rossa down, but all that got out from his mouth was a statement that made him dubious too about this matter.

'…_do whatever pleases you…even so, please be careful.' _Her tone was flat as always, yet the blonde could detect a hint of annoyance at not being taken seriously. She probably highly doubted that her Master would be able to pacify the link between him and Miyuki, but said nothing else on the matter and stopped talking.

Was she…actually angry? That would be a rare happening, she almost never got upset at him unless he took a stupid course of action during a fatal fight. The Shinobi hoped she didn't hold it on him in the long run, as she was in his head and in the case they didn't have a positive relationship, things would quickly degenerate in an awkward situation.

"Right…so this is it." Finishing his mental discussion with the girl, Naruto stopped in front of a sliding door, quite similar to the ones in the temple, but this one was clearly more modern, the surface covered with shiny metal instead of old wood. Above it, a black thin block featuring the number and letter '1-A' stood out.

Not allowing the slight nervousness he was feeling to overcome him, the blonde calmly entered in the class, a vast room full of furniture welcoming his sight.

The first thought that passed on him was 'techno', just like a lot of things he haddiscovered and visited during his recent stay in this city. There wasn't any particular decoration in the classroom, but that wasn't a terrible need since the light, metal grey color with which most of the class was composed of did wonders in giving a nice feeling to whoever looked.

Surprisingly, there weren't many students and the few were still chatting amongst themselves in reserved groups, shying away from strangers. Naruto had thought that he would be the last to arrive, but the fact that he didn't attract so much attention on himself reassured him. Usually he wouldn't mind such a development, but these guys wandering around were Magicians, no matter how inexperienced or young. They naturally knew of the most famous Magic Families, and if someone suddenly screamed of his affiliation-

"Hey, isn't that the Uzumaki?"

"Eh? Are you serious?"

"Aren't they usually reserved? I heard that they usually have private tutors instead of showing up in public…"

…well, damn. People always complimented his luck, but that didn't do much in redirecting all the attention he was receiving in this moment. Which was unnerving, to say the least.

Some random guy had lazily eyed him before, probably someone who had been grouped with him during the entrance exams and therefore recognized Naruto as the 'Ancient Magic user who basically humiliated all the Modern Magic users', or something more docile than that. From that, his whisper was like the switch of the flashlight that was now pointed at him, earning either scorn or admiration from them.

The Shinobi didn't particularly care. In the first place, his opinion regarding the Course 1 students had already plummeted to the ground yesterday, when he had witnessed the 'elites' being snob and snorting at every Course 2 students. For now, the only ones he considered as nice human beings were Honoka and Shizuku, the others didn't do much in favoring themselves in his eyes.

"Blondie." A voice called at him, a super monotone voice. The only students who had no inflection in their tone were Tatsuya and Shizuku. Since hopefully the sis-con wasn't a cross-dressing pervert (maybe), then the only one who called out at him could be…

"Hey…Shizuku-chan." Eyeing the short girl tugging at his sleeve, he greeted her back, but he couldn't help to add a hint of tiredness in his words along with the occasional pause in his sentences. The drug was really messing with him, wasn't it?

Contrary to her sluggish appearance, Shizuku was a perceptive girl. So she immediately noticed the lack of cheerfulness in the blonde Magician voice. It sounded weirdly tired, a vast difference from his attitude from yesterday. Shizuku's expression shifted to a mildly worried one: "Blondie, are you all right? You look wasted."

'Oh?' Naruto wasn't too taken aback from her question. From the start, she had the aura of someone who mainly observed persons before approaching them, thus her discovery of his state didn't faze him that much. Still, it wasn't as if he could tell her the truth, but perhaps the unlikeliness of it would deceive her: "Yeah, it's just that…a pervert, pedophile fake monk sneaked…a few pills in my sandwich, so now I feel…tired."

Obviously, there was no way she could believe that bull-

"I see." With an understanding tone, she said so while taking in the information without a twitch. Did she seriously trust what could be considered as messing around, not batting an eyelid when someone said something so outrageous?! Perhaps she was worse than Tatsuya in the department of emotions…

"We want to present you someone." Shrugging off Naruto's revelation, she insistently pulled him further in the classroom.

How cute…if the blonde wasn't occupied in dealing with the shock of how well she was able to not get fazed by the truth of him being drugged, then he would have surely made a delighted expression while patting her head softly.

"By the way, it was rude to leave yesterday without saying a word." Still staring at him and walking backwards, the grey-haired girl huffed out with a strange spice of irritation. He was happy at her making a step in expressing her feelings, but what was she talking about?

…wait.

"Um…by yesterday, you mean…" Naruto started hesitantly, recalling the events of the day before. Trying to beat up Tatsuya, failing, leaving with a questionable reputation…and abandoning the two girls he had just acquainted himself with.

Oh, this wasn't good at all.

"Yes, I mean when you had the urge of showing off your martial arts for then abandoning me and Honoka." Halting her steps, Shizuku frowned with what she meant as an upset look, which was only seen as an adorable expression by the accused blonde.

"You are not…upset to the point of…assaulting me, right?" Naruto said as he adopted a careful stance in case things degenerated in a bad end route, Naruto warily looked down at the girl. He didn't know why, but he had the sensation that Shizuku had harmed him yesterday and thus his body remembered the sensation of being hit, creating an automatic reaction to guard itself from her presence. That was an oddly specific feeling, though.

"I considered elbowing your testicles," She said a little too casually, before rubbing her elbow with a pained look "but since you don't feel well, I will let it go."

If Naruto's mental process wasn't hindered by the drug, then he would have certainly shouted out something along the lines of 'hey, did you just consider an outrageous option?!'. Instead, he could only give her a half-relieved half-terrified stare before shrugging off: "L-lucky…" He probably had to be grateful for having got away without any punishment, even if a nuts-breaker was over the limits.

"So, who is it…that you wanted to…introduce to me?"

"Ah! Yeah, I almost forgot. It's-"

"N-Naruto-san!"

Interrupting the answer to the blonde's question was a high-pitched voice, the owner of it a timid-looking girl with two small pigtails. She seemed to have noticed him and therefore was now standing before.

"Oh…hey, Honoka-chan…" Waving lazily his hand in air, the Shinobi greeted her not that decently.

"Ah…" From her depressed expression, she took the low enthusiasm with which he stared at her as a bad sign, starting to mumble words and shying away from him "I-I'm sorry if I'm a bother…" And Naruto could swear that he glimpsed a few tears gathering on her eyes.

"Don't get sad, Honoka." Instead of the blonde, it was the shy girl's best friend who intervened to repair the situation "He isn't annoyed at you. It's just that he ate a few pills that messed up his mind."

What…was it alright to confirm something like this out of the blue?! He could understand that with her apathetic personality, Shizuku could take on such a ridiculous explanation, but Honoka was far more logical than her, so there was no way that she would-!

"Ah…I see!" With reconfirmed vigor, the pigtailed girl recovered from her depression with a confident expression while not minding about how otherworldly that explanation sounded "Fight, Naruto-san!"

"S-sure…" The blonde's straight man that dwelled inside his soul screamed in protest, voicing him to let out all his fury and reasonable side, but once again, that drug stopped him from feeling anything aside from a slight bewilderment "So, Shizuku…who was it that I have to know?"

Instead of answering, the emotionless girl merely pointed behind the figure of Honoka, ending on the image of a girl with black hair, beautiful features and a scowling look when she noticed his presence.

Guess who was it?

This was seriously…how could it happen? Was this world really that small? Wait, this school accepted 200 students each year, so it wasn't a surprise that he had to meet her all of sudden, after that really awkward moment they had shared in the hallway.

Naruto let out a resigned sigh, surrendering himself. He didn't know why, but both his female friends were giving him shining stares that fully expressed their desire for him to socialize with Shiba Miyuki. Was it some sort of hobby for girls today? He had to disappoint them though, that bro-con girl and he didn't go along that much, regardless the effort he put in it.

Ignoring the pointed looks that each student present in the classroom gave him, the Shinobi gently pushed Honoka aside and reached the position of the Snow Queen, answering with impassibility in front of her hostility. That was how you dealt with it, be cool and not a fool.

"Hey…Miyuki." A rather lame attempt to diffuse the tension hanging in the air, Naruto saluted her unwillingly. It was just natural, for some unknown reason she hated him now and since he didn't know why, he could hardly do anything.

"Uzumaki-san." She said nothing else, only whispering his surname in a polite tone. Noticeably, she stopped calling him by his first name, likely to distance themselves from each other.

Aaah…if he knew things would devolve this badly, then staying at the temple would have been far better than enduring this sort of uncomfortable situation. Many voices were talking with one and another, and in no time nasty rumors would surely emerge. Just like in a manga he had read once, where students tended to engross the truth of the matters and spread lies for their amusement.

They really had nothing else to discuss, so both Magicians merely stood on their spot while glancing away from each other. This was hardly missed from everyone, hell you had to be the densest individual possible to not notice the tension growing on them.

"Em…" Finally, Honoka surprisingly held the initiative and aimed a question to both of them while fidgeting "Were you two already acquaintances before?"

"Ehhh? Were we acquaintances before…?" In a dead, weary tone, clearly not wishing to continue the discussion, Naruto repeated the words like a dying parrot "If you stretch that of a lot…even then, I assume that acquaintances are on at least decent terms…" If this was some minutes ago, then perhaps they could even call each other 'new-born friends', but as things were now he honestly didn't know.

His explanation was enough to have Shizuku and Honoka understand that what they intended to do, namely introducing both of their idols, revealed itself to be a bad course of action, the worst they could take. They had originally planned to create a sort of group among the four of them, but they obviously didn't know that currently Naruto and Miyuki's relationship was like the one between dog and cat.

"Welcome, we will now begin orientation. All students, please return to your seats."

Thankfully for all the students present in 1-A, who were being swallowed by the unwillingness to talk between the top Magicians of this year, the speaker hanging from the wall buzzed briefly before announcing a message to begin the official explanation of the school's mechanics.

Hearing that, everyone dispersed and directed themselves to their assigned seats. Naruto pulled out the ID Card he had registered yesterday and took a look at the desk where he was supposed to go to.

'The fifth seat near the window…' Turning his head, he looked at his desk positioned near the large window of the classroom, giving a free view of the grounds outside of the institute 'What a cliché, just like a transfer student…' Not that he minded though, it was beside Honoka's one too, and the farthest away from Miyuki's. If by some chance the computer had decided to give him a desk near hers…

Pushing away these needless worries, Naruto calmly took his chair and seated on it, not even bothering to pay attention to the unconcealed whispers which were most likely bad-mouthing him about having troubled their 'Miyuki-sama'. They would hardly fade away and normally he would be upset at having lies attached to his reputation. Due to the drug, he couldn't even muster a single grain of anger at the current predicament he was in, only managing to lie his head on the fresh surface of the desk, enjoying the cold on his cheek.

At some point, a teacher with an expensive suit and combed hair entered the classroom. He wasn't sure of his name…what was it?

'_It's Mozuya, Master.' _Without a warning, Rossa's voice reminded him of the surname of who was supposed to be the instructor assigned to his class. Every other student beside himself got up and bowed, apparently outsiders had some kind of polite manners to follow in their environment.

'Well, who cares, this…is the first time I'm frequenting…a school.' Ignoring the murmured advice of a few students telling him to get up, Naruto ended with attracting a colossal amount of infamy on his presence by not minding one bit about his rudeness in not greeting the teacher. He just laid his head on the desk, looking outside.

He knew that this was his fault and he could hardly create a decent excuse for his attitude, but right now he wanted to sleep so badly that all became secondary in front of his primary need.

After the class quieted down despite his scene, Mozuya started some sort of speech, but he couldn't grasp the exact words of what he was saying. He supposed that at least listening would be nice, it could be considered a way of apologizing for his behavior.

'_Don't bother, Master. It's just a description of the privileges that Course 1 students are in possess of.' _The girl in his skull stopped him from lending an ear to the speech _'If you insist, then I can register it for you to hear.'_

'Rossa…we have been together for years? …but I never heard of…that function. What are you, a mental cellphone?' In disbelief at what he just heard, Naruto separated his senses from the outer world and concentrated on his conversation with her.

'_It comes with an offer. Buy two and pay one.'_

'…'

'…_it was supposed to be a funny joke, Master.'_

'No…I think I grasped the…concept. I never thought that…you could do something like this, though. I'm disillusioned here.' With how she always insisted in only serving while calling herself his humble slave, he couldn't wrap his mind about the idea of her formulating a joke.

'_Master…'_ She cutely growled, even if he didn't understand how he knew _'you seem to have a penchant for angering women. Please, pay care to what you say, others may not be so forgiving in that aspect.'_

'Eh…easier said…than done. If it was so simple, then I wouldn't be in such an awkward situation with Miyuki and thus all the class.' Naruto huffed tiredly, all the troublesome events of today being replayed in his mind like a video recorder. He was really a damn magnet for troubles.

If there was a debate in which the participants were Naruto and Miyuki, the blonde was absolutely sure that almost no one would take his side. Apparently, in society hormonal teenagers tended to unfairly favor the one with the best appearance. And between a rude, roguish-looking blonde with scars resembling whiskers against a girl with shiny, black hair, absurdly proportional figure and seemingly polite manners, wasn't the answer obvious?

'I already…hate school. Why did…I want to come here again?'

'_You assumed that it could be a fun experience, Master.'_

He mentally groaned at his stupid decision. He had been compelled to enroll in a school for two reasons, the first being that he had read too many manga during his free time, admiring the daily life of a high school boy, only to remind himself too late that those stories were almost one century old. The second, more serious motive was that the leaders of the clan felt that sending a few of their heirs outside in order to gain some information from the high amount of Numbers in the Magic High Schools was a good idea.

Though, why did he have to come here too? He wasn't even considered an official heir, it was Nagato-nii that held the title of it, hell he didn't even desire such a responsibility. If Naruto seriously became the successor of his Grandmother, he would have to deal with a sea of problems. It wasn't as if he wished to get acknowledged by the members, so not rising in rank was fine by him.

'At least I can go…away from that boring place.' Truthfully, the compound of the Clan was, while resembling an expensive suite, an extremely monotone place. Kids barely ran around and everyone was so serious, they didn't welcome him either. The only thing he could describe as entertaining was picking on Konohamaru and his friends and even that was slowly losing its charm. Well, in the end he couldn't complain about this job they had given him since he could get away from there.

'Observe the heirs of Numbers while maintaining a low profile' was the instruction. The mere thought made him snort for the sheer stupidity, not for the order but for the fact that they had given it to him. Who did they think he was supposed to be, some covert spy? He wasn't suited at all for this sort of mission, unleashing him on some random military base would be far more profitable.

"Now then, I must be off for my next lesson." Having finished his speech about the school, the teacher named Mozuya turned around to exit the class but not before giving a hostile glare in Naruto's direction.

Literally feeling the clear hate in that stare, the blonde sighed. He supposed it was his fault, after all even he wouldn't get that happy at being ignored by someone. But hey, it wasn't every day that you got drugged by some pills, so they should cut him some slack.

Spreading his emotion-reading ability a little, the main emotion he felt that was directed towards him was something similar to: 'Annoyance, envy and desire to…not get involved with me...it's unusually accurate. They sure make no reserve in hiding their feelings. But then again, one…doesn't expect to have his Deep Limbic System read by someone.'

Well, he got a definite answer to his somewhat curious question. Everyone despised him and didn't want to talk to him due to having messed up in doing a nice introduction, the end. Not that it was a first, but the blonde didn't want anything to do either with people who cared only about their reputation when choosing their friends.

"Blondie," Naruto's attention was caught by the alarmed words of Kitayama Shizuku, who calmly walked towards him with an expression that didn't promise anything good "what were you thinking, doing that?"

"Mm...I have no idea...what you are talking about..." Despite the void in his words, the Shinobi intended it as a statement to mess around with her. They both knew perfectly about what she meant with her reprimand.

Scowling at his act, the grey-haired girl got near him enough to be uncomfortably close for his taste: "Why did you do that? Acting rudely towards Mozuya-sensei like that…"

"Didn't I say it…already? I don't know your custom, I lived…on an island for most of my life."

Not accepting it as a valid explanation, Shizuku slightly bristled: "Even so, you must know the basic manners! This way, you will isolate yourself from everyone!" Unusual from her composed attitude, her facial expression this time said a lot about how she felt towards his rudeness displayed earlier.

If Naruto wasn't feeling sleepy from the drug, he would have been touched from the care she showed for him, so much to the point of abandoning her calmness. Even though they only met yesterday, he already felt that they were connected by a bond stronger that the one he had with many clan members who he was familiar with for years.

"Shizuku," Not winching even a little from her uncharacteristic outburst, Naruto shrugged her words off to ask a question "do you care about other's opinion?"

"What does that have do with any-?!" She almost finished her sentence before closing her mouth, aware that she was getting carried away from her emotions. Taking a deep, unseen breath, her face returned to an appearance similar to her customary one "I…usually I don't care that much, but they have some importance anyway."

Shizuku, due to her talent, had always been scorned by others who were jealous of her, so she was experienced with things such as made-up rumors and envious stares from others. As such, she never paid too much attention to how people felt about her, but even then she couldn't deny that in some cases, you were forced to think about how someone felt about you.

"Good…answer." Naruto didn't expect something like 'hey, I give zero shit about what you think, I only do what I want'. Rather, he would have been disappointed in such a way of life "I share your opinion."

"Then-"

"But," He interrupted her when she attempted to intervene "I don't like these people." He said while gesturing in a discreet manner in his classmates' direction "How they think, how they act, how they talk, how they create prejudices and elevate themselves on a podium. If I was not in a particular condition, then I would have tried to beat them up at the slightest offense they would have made at me. That's why, even if I care about others' opinions, I could care less about the ones of those I dislike."

As if confirming his statement, a few students grouped together, unaware of how the blonde was criticizing them, and started to discuss with malicious grins.

"I feel a little bad about Weeds-"

"They should be happy for just getting in."

"Seriously, so arrogant for them to think they are talented as us."

"Commoners are commoners, don't expect too much from them."  
>Just like that, Naruto cemented his justifiable view about the matter. In his opinion, with guys like these who blindly believed that the world was melded for their own liking and that they were in possess of otherworldly gifts, what they thought about him was irrelevant. At the very least, he had no desire for them to spread false things about him or anything of the sort, but other than that he did not even wish to be aware of what view they had of him.<p>

"…even so…" Shizuku, despite the truth of his words, still wasn't completely convinced, but resigned herself anyway after a while. The blonde seemed to be a stubborn person, so she assumed that even if she pulled out a counter, he wouldn't budge from his position in the argument "I understand."

Grinning good-naturedly, Naruto caressed her head after the scene: "Come on, let's stop…with these complicated conversations. I'm happy…that you were worried for me, Shizuku-chan."

"It's because we are friends...so there is no reason to not care for each other." As if it was an absolute truth, as if this common sense overruled everything, she regained her impassible expression while muttering these words without any hint of embarrassment.

"Ohoh…" An amused sound came out from his mouth, agreeing with her outlook on their bond "That's a nice way…to view it. If only more…people had a philosophy like yours."

Students where now dispersing, some going out of the class to who-know-where, others staying for whatever reason, while a noticeably large crowd, composed of mostly males who were growling excitedly, were pestering the only person possible that could have such an estimated reputation this early in the year.

"Could I please have a moment, Shiba-san?" Naruto saw a fairly tall student, brown hair mopping his head and a hopeful glint in his eyes. He approached Miyuki, who was gathering her things in a fancy bag.

"What is it?" The Shinobi could easily detect that while her tone remained polite, she was mildly annoyed by the boy. It wasn't as if he needed to use his ability to read emotions, the furrowing of her brows was already enough for him to get it.

That didn't seem to appear to be the case for that guy, who was blissfully ignorant of her feelings and when he received her hesitating confirmation to elaborate, he didn't waste time.

"What are going to be doing?"

"I'll be following Mozuya-sensei's-"

"What a coincidence! Me too!"

Uwaaa…how annoying was he? Naruto couldn't understand with what reasoning others accused him of being rude and disrespectful when there were people like him who interrupted others in the midst of talking and yelled that loud. Also, it was fairly obvious to everyone that he just pulled that out from his ass and was actually following Miyuki's lead like a panting dog.

Naruto noticed from his side that Shizuku too was giving an even more deadpanned look, if that was possible, when witnessing the embarrassing spectacle put on by that brown-haired student. He could swear to have heard her whisper 'pitiful' in response to that. Good, at least he wasn't alone in his opinion.

Though, aside from that, there was a question nagging his mind, so the blonde opted to receive help from the little lady standing beside him.

"So...what is the deal…with us going somewhere?" Naruto nudged his friend with his hand while asking this. That brown-haired guy was still talking about following the advices of the teacher from before, but the point was that the whiskered Magician had no idea about what he was blabbering.

"Right…you were asleep, weren't you?" He could hear a bit of accusation in her tone. She was still mad, wasn't she? "Mozuya-sensei said that this morning there will be a class about the Classifications of Magic, in the afternoon a Magician will come and use Practical Magic. He said should we be interested, the experiment is in the laboratory on the first floor within ten minutes."

Classifications of Magic? If Naruto wasn't wrong about the basic information he had picked up in the long course of missions he had accomplished during his life, it was how Modern Magicians divided their spells in different categories to distinguish them and how they worked in warping reality.

If he was correct, then they divided them into four major types with each possessing two subtypes. Speed and Weight/Mass, Movement and Oscillation/Vibration, Conversion and Dispersion, Absorption and Release, he remembered them only because Rossa had in her memory this information too. Apparently, there were also three exceptions, but the blonde didn't particularly care about it.

Breaking off from his thought, he stared down at Shizuku with his decision made: "Well, we don't have…anything else to do. Let's go to…this laboratory."

"Let's wait Honoka." She said. Of course, she wouldn't separate from her friend without a good reason.

"Mm, yeah, but where is she?"

As if answering their collective question, a girl with pigtails jumped between the scene where Miyuki was being, in a sense, harassed by the guy with brown-hair: "We should hurry to the meeting place!"

Ignoring both the male and female's shared surprise, she intervened for the sake of the Snow Queen and also for her admiration towards her. Though, the boy didn't take too kindly in being interrupted: "Hey, who do you think-!?"

He was about to shove her to the side just when the object of his insistence stood up and neared Honoka, agreeing with her choice.

Miyuki's small shock hadn't lasted for even a mere instant before she had understood what her new friend was attempting to do. Who was she to refuse the assist she was being offered? Thinking this, she accepted the help with a reassured smile: "Yes, you are correct, Mitsui-san. Let's go."

With that, the pair of girls abandoned the annoying classmates and went out of the door, Honoka giving them a gesture to follow soon.

Watching from his desk, Naruto slightly grimaced. And here he wanted to spend some time with the only ones willing to socialize with him, but as if fate was mocking him the girl who, for a still unknown reason, hated him was now getting in the bunch.

He and Tatsuya's sister didn't get along at all. For Naruto, who had already developed a mild wariness against her after reading her emotions and seeing her true feelings, things had just worsened after he had said something that had apparently angered the lady, cancelling most of the chances they had at continuing to stay together.

Once again, this didn't escape from the perception of the small Magician standing beside him, her eyes half-lidded as always, giving the impression that she was bored. Yet, her current feelings were all but that.

"Don't you like Miyuki-san? You two seem to hate each other." Instead of wondering about it endlessly, Shizuku concluded that it was far more profitable to ask it directly.

In front of the question, Naruto wasn't surprised at all. The hostility between him and the freshmen representative was palpable and they weren't exactly attempting to hide it from the public either. He supposed that it was just right to get curious.

"Well…let's say that we had some complications…" He summarized the whole problem, even if it was more than that. If he could degrade the whole issue as a simple quarrel, then he wouldn't be so unwilling to approach the Snow Queen.

"But it's not like you can avoid her forever." She said these words with something akin to a hopeful attempt at having the two persons she admired getting along. She still didn't give up about it, as much as their disagreement was totally unexpected.

Listening to Shizuku, Naruto actually wished he could do that. If he could escape from her notice for the rest of his life he would be content, but unfortunately the Snow Queen was attached like a leech to her brother and the latter always came to the temple every single day. He lived in that place, no way he was going to do something like changing location just because a girl branded him as her enemy, that would be the same as letting her do as she pleased.

Though, she was right. He couldn't escape from the problem forever. The only solution to this dilemma he was being faced with was discovering some way to repair the rift between him and Miyuki.

The easiest of the key to do that was perhaps apologizing for whatever he did and hope for her to be in a good mood to accept it. That would be what reasonable, logical people did in the end, after all.

But Uzumaki Naruto wasn't a person following logic and such. He did in most situations, but this one was something he had to deal with while staking his pride.

Asking forgiveness for something he didn't even do? To hell with that, he wouldn't prostrate to her, he had his reputation to maintain! What would the members of his unit think of him when the news came to them? Killer Bee would surely compose some lame rapping line in order to describe the misery of it, Fuu would laugh at him right in the face while bringing the subject up each time…

The blonde quickly paled at the eight different prospects waiting for him in the case he was going to humiliate himself to Miyuki. He, who was thought as the one with the most destructive power in the unit he was part of, getting made fun of for such a stupid reason like that…

"…do it."

"Eh?" Shizuku voiced at the whisper of the Shinobi.

"I can…do it!" Overlapping his limitations brought forth by the drug, the male half-shouted as if a confirmation to his own self "Who cares about that bitch! Ahahah! If she has some fucking problem with me, I'll beat her up! And if Tatsuya is against that, I'm going to beat him up too!

That statement came completely out from the blue. Moreover, she understood about a fuck about what he was yelling about. She was really beginning to worry about his current mental state. Did she accidentally trigger a bomb she shouldn't have bothered with?

"Ee…what are you saying, Narut-"

"I'm going to change my future!" Interrupting her, the blonde spat out these words, incomprehensible to Shizuku but perfectly clear to him "As if I'm going to endure their baseless insults! Even if I'm the one of the members with the least experience amongst them, I have my fair share of live combat! They don't have the rights to bully me!"

Shizuku was amazed by the mechanics of the human brain. From a simple reprimand about him needing to reconcile with Miyuki, her friend had a sort of twisted breakdown, seemingly screaming laments at a trauma that had taken place in his past. Needless to say, she couldn't once again get the meaning of his words. She constantly tried to calm him down, mainly for his mental sanity and also for the fact that it was mildly embarrassing. The students from 1-A were staring at the blonde with indescribable expressions, lost in words at this situation.

After a full, hellishly long minute involving Shizuku's attempts at stopping his rants, her quiet voice not matching the male's rough one, Naruto ran from the class towards some unknown place, leaving the room in a mental mess after the whole event.

Watching the exit from which he escaped, with a straight face she heaved a complaining sigh. After the fearsome event that had took place, most would usually back down from trying anything they desired. But Shizuku still had the utmost intention of creating a stable relationship between Naruto and Miyuki which didn't unlock traumas at the mere mention of a few words.

Though, she certainly had the feeling that the requirements to fulfill her objective had escalated immensely.

**XxX**

'_Master, are you alright?'_

'Uu…am I fine…no, it's like, what have I done? I just had made a shitty impression in front of my class, then I have to take the role of the psychopath…I might just dig myself a hole and hide in it for the rest of this year. Ah, but then who would cover it…?'

Right now, this Uzumaki Naruto was supporting himself on a wall nearby the area where the experiment Shizuku had mentioned was taking place, in a typical pose where his nails were grazing the metal of the wall in weak frustration. A few of his classmates were giving him cold, freezing stares, yet that didn't even scratch the surface of his care since he just…didn't care.

One, because as explained before their opinions of him could, for all he cared, get stuck up their ass for the remainder of eternity. Second, he was too concentrated to drown in his own regret and embarrassment at the display he had made earlier.

When he had exited the class in deep euphoria, too absorbed in his enthusiasm, the blonde had lost the sense of time and didn't remember the full details, but apparently he had caused some trouble for then disappearing. After a string of childish pranks, for a coincidence he had ended up in the location where the experiment about Modern Magic was being carried out.

All of the explanation was forwarded by his loyal, abstract servant, Rossa. And thus, he inexplicably doubted the honesty of her words.

Why, why did he not trust the one who was with him for years, helping him with useful information and calibrating his volatile Magic? Perhaps Naruto believed she had lied and downplayed his questionable adventure in an attempt to not further depress him? It was possible since she always had his best interest in mind, so the blonde would have actually gone with that speculation...

If he didn't confirm for certain that she was the one who had caused his crazy outburst.

'Aren't you supposed to be my back-up in case I find myself in a pinch? And here are you disrupting my mission by ruining my reputation…'

Naruto was sure that she was responsible. Before his outburst, he had noticed a slight pain in his head slightly throwing him off balance, likely associated with the removal of the chemicals in that drug. She had mentioned that it wouldn't have been a good experience if she went through it, but he didn't expect it to involve the kind of embarrassing moment where he had acted randomly.

'_I simply don't appreciate the fact that Master is sharing an amicable relationship with people we know nothing about.'_ Rossa answered him with a spatting tone clashing with her regal attitude, causing a clear dissonance _'We should keep to ourselves and maintain a low profile.'_

The blonde didn't mention the fact that she just blew off his entire supposed cover as a 'normal student' and he wasn't able anymore to do that. Instead, he was probably known as 'the guy who just caused trouble for everyone in the first official day of school'. Wasn't that a great start?

'Listen, Rossa. I absolutely don't get what you are blabbering about, I don't care and won't care about it. But please, it's already embarrassing as it is, so don't ruin my reputation any further!'

'_I assumed that Master didn't care about others' opinions? Was that a lie?'_

'It wasn't. But everything has its limits, and I consider Shizuku a friend, if she keeps seeing my embarrassing sides than I might really consider killing myself.'

'_You won't die even if you kill yourself, Master.'_

'Good point, but you get what I mean, right?'

A pregnant silence momentarily reigned in his mind, and Naruto felt slightly annoyed at the fact that she was actually thinking about what to answer or not. At times, it seemed as if she was intentionally aggravating him.

The blonde wouldn't take any chance in having her refuse. Trying to sound as cold as possible, he closed the matter with these words.

'It's an order.'

Naruto didn't actually have any authority with him. He couldn't order around anyone inside the Clan, as his political power amounted to basically zero. Yet, that didn't apply to Rossa, and even if it did she wouldn't dare to disobey him. The Shinobi had made the decision with this clear in his mind.

'…_understood. If it's your wish, I won't object nor interfere in any way.'_

He refrained from mentioning that she had already stepped on his desires quite a few times in the past, but prolonging the matter would only lead to more troubles. Case closed.

"Let's take a look at this experiment…" Pushing the issue away, Naruto bounced off from the wall across the large glass window which his classmates were facing and walked near them. He made a detour around them since they were tightly packed and finally got a clear view of what was going on.

There, he witnessed a ball of cracking electricity defying the laws of gravity by floating in the air. Two cute girls, probably upperclassmen judging by the dexterity with which they handled some screens and the confidence, were seemingly maintaining that state in order to show it to the freshmen up here. Also, the blonde concluded that they were older than him due to their ability in keeping the small yellow bolts from burning them, which require some adequate skill to do.

"Pay attention, new students." Naruto's attention was pulled by a familiar voice. Turning his head, he saw the same teacher from before…Moyada? No wait, it was Mozuya. He was explaining the spectacle before their eyes while clapping his hands loudly to gather their interest.

"The purpose of this class is to learn the basics of Systematic Release Magic." Mozuya lectured.

Even though Naruto was a self-admitted idiot, he wasn't dense enough to not remember the explanations that Rossa had told him many times.

If his memory didn't fail him, than that was a term used by Modern Magicians to indicate the use of spells that interfered with the movements and interaction of particles and similar.

"It's an experiment to create electricity without any friction to trigger it, for then eliminating the charged state via an atmospheric discharge."

That...part was slightly difficult to process instantly. Naruto was aware of only the simple knowledge he needed to not get confused while in a battle, so all he understood was that electricity could be produced via the frictions of different electrons, albeit in small quantity.

The giant ball in the wide room through the window glass was hardly what you could define small. It was freakishly huge, and the blonde could only see its use in throwing it at an enemy.

"Observing this, can anyone explain the nature of Systematic Release Magic?"

Oiiiiiiii! One's here and has just reflected about it! That was what Naruto could have said to get attention, but right now he wasn't exactly in the brightest of mood to do anything else aside from staring at the floating yellow sphere. Honestly, he found it far more entertaining than listening to the boring lectures of Moyad-err…Mozuya, maybe?

Contrary to the casual reaction of the Shinobi, the crowd of students distanced from the absent blonde was whispering among its members, unprepared in front of such an unexpected question. Usually, that sort of knowledge had to be imparted in them in the next few days, so only the ones already involved in the world of Magicians for a considerable amount of time were able to know the answer.

"Here, Sensei." A short-haired, tall boy took a step forward with a hand raised, a confident expression pictured on his face. He was probably one who was already experienced in this field given his grin that exuded no hesitation.

Morisaki Shun, member of the Morisaki Clan of the Hundred Families. Famous for the ability Quickdraw and the employment of family members in bodyguard jobs, this student was already quite involved in the world of Magic. Ranked fourth in the practical exam of First High, he was already used to live combat.

Mozuya-sensei, noticing his hand, turned his full attention over him "Morisaki-kun, right? Go ahead."

Straightening as the stares of all is classmates were bearing on his back, Morisaki's grin didn't falter and he answered with full assurance of his intelligence and experience with Magic: "Is it Magic which manipulates radiations?"

"Wrong." Straight out and without hesitation, the teacher replied with the same confidence that Morisaki had before, not even giving it any thought before denying the student's words "It's not incorrect, but not right either. You shouldn't answer a question with another question. Even if you have no confidence in yourself, then don't show it to the other party, otherwise it will be embarrassing for yourself."

Frowning, Morisaki backed backward and stood there ashamed at the reprimand of his teacher. His confidence was shattered and at least no one was ridiculing him for his failed attempt. In the first place, he had tried differently from them, so some of his classmates actually went there to comfort him with a pat.

Mozuya-sensei too felt that maybe he had been a little too severe in his statement, but he was a firm believer in the rigidity of an instructor, so he barely spared some seconds to watch the reaction of his students before surveying the rest of them, trying to find someone who looked to be aware of the answer.

At first his gaze landed on the prodigy of this year, Shiba Miyuki. Her results in both written and technical exams were flawless, her answers and ability nearing perfection, only surpassed by two persons.

One was a mere Course 2 student with her same surname, probably a relative, who received a perfect score in the written tests. All teachers, him included, were literally amazed at the student called Shiba Tatsuya who was supposed to be a simple spare.

While the practical exams…

Mozuya-sensei glanced at his side to see the blonde, disinterested blonde that ignored him from the very start of their meeting. When he had first heard that an Uzumaki would be part of his class, he had grown overjoyed at having the occasion to nurture such a talent.

One of the prides of First High School was the previous student that had preceded Saegusa Mayumi as Student Council President, the genius named Uzumaki Nagato. Perfect in both ability in wielding Magic and intelligence, Mozuya-sensei had been the first to forget the shame at having an Ancient Magic user surpass the Modern one.

While he frowned upon Nagato's view about how all students from all courses were supposedly equals, he couldn't deny the fact that he was an unsurpassed prodigy.

For this reason, seeing how the second Uzumaki enrolling in this school was lacking in manners, intellect and adept only at practical skills, this disgusted and disappointed him to no end. Despite how he could have left a computer handle the job, he had wanted to personally correct his written exam, but upon seeing the stupidities the blonde had written on it, he had abandoned all hopes for Naruto.

Uzumaki Naruto was an all brawn no brains idiot, this was his judgment. Putting in his place the brat who ignored him for all this time without any shame, actually daring to sleep in his class, it was his duty as a teacher and effort to save his pride that led him to sneer the next question.

"Uzumaki-kun, since you are ignoring the lesson I assume that you are already quite prepared in this topic. Don't be shy and try to answer."

"Mmh?"

Everyone's attention was caught by the intentionally loud, yet calm tone of their teacher. Staring at the scene, all students quickly understood the reason of Mozuya-sensei's somehow immature attitude.

They, too, couldn't stand the arrogance displayed by the blonde Uzumaki and quickly wanted to see him put back in his place. No one, except two petite girls, objected at what was clearly the situation of their homeroom teacher trying to embarrass Naruto.

Nobody expected him to know the answer.

"You mean the answer? Systematic Release Magic influences the movement and interaction of particles."

But with casualness, he answered the question flawlessly as if he expected it.

Mozuya-sensei felt as if a hammer literally materialized to strike him in the guts, making him crawl on the ground in pain. Obviously this didn't happen at all, as it was impossible even with Magic. Yet, the sensation might have been as well similar.

He realized that instead of humiliating and educating the blonde in front of him, all that he gained from that short exchange of words was mirrored back at him. He felt regret, embarrassment and…he couldn't accept it!

"…no, it's wrong."

"Uh?"

"It's wrong, Uzumaki-kun. The answer isn't totally correct, it misses some words. This way, it isn't fully explained." Then, his expression turned fully smug "You should study more, you know?"

Naruto actually forgot about his interest in the experiment down there and instead gawked at the childish attitude of the guy who was supposed to be his senior in life. What's more, the fact that he was able to pull of this ridiculous statement was what made him want to punch the guy repeatedly, with whispers of 'Ah, I guess he is an idiot after all' and 'After all, he is only a blonde gorilla'. Screw the stuff about not getting angry, he would find the bastard who had muttered the last one and torture him!

"I didn't know what to expect...you disappoint me." Shaking his head in a woeful way, clearly faked, his expression turned to full-stars when in his vision entered the sight of a black-haired, frowning girl "Now, Shiba-san, would you care to correct your classmate's error and show the right description of a Systematic Release Magic?"

Immediately, all gazes of the students in 1-A turned to her expectantly, as if the truth of her getting the correct words was pre-determined, written on the text of Fate.

Not letting her disgusted emotions to surface on her face, she showed a slight, forced smile while answering without stuttering in her tone: "Systematic Release Magic is Magic which interferes with the movement and interaction of subatomic particles and composite particles."

"Very concisely summarized, that was quite the answer. My praise, Shiba-san." Wholly different from the way he had previously sneered at Naruto, his face looked as the same of that of a teacher overjoyed by a model student. In a similar manner, almost all the members of class 1-A erupted in cheers, Miyuki being the celebrity.

"Kya, did you see that? She was amazing!"

"It would be really perfect to get close to her!"

"She is totally different from that blonde gorilla!"

In reaction to the insult not-so-discretely thrown at him, the student being belittled from his female classmates only displayed a scrunched expression, as if having seen something particularly horrible in the pit of the girls' soul. Glancing away at a digital clock on the wall in front of him, he dearly hoped that this would finish soon.

'_Ignore those wretched whores, Master.'_

'You don't need to tell me that.' Unfazed by the surprisingly vulgar language of Rossa, he didn't mind in the least. On the contrary, the way she called them was refreshing and seemed to drag an amused snort out of him 'I'm already quite used to it. An idiot or two added to my hate club shouldn't be that much of a difference, right?'

Reminded of the unpopular reputation of her Master, Rossa almost bristled, but kept her opinions to herself and concluded the matter to not irritate the blonde any further. Finishing the conversation, she retreated back in his mind while he silently stared at the experiment, only to be disappointed when he discovered that the chamber down there was void.

Perhaps a blessing for him, among the cheering boys and girls praising the Snow Queen, she and two other girls silently frowned at the Magicians around them and their treatment.

**XxX**

"I can't believe Mozuya-sensei did that!"

"I agree, that was immature of him. How did someone like him become a teacher at Magic High School?"

"Kitayama-san, just as each country lack sufficient personnel in Magic affairs, adequate instructors are extremely hard to find everywhere."

"Even so…!"

Catching the attention of quite a number of students was the heated discussion of three beautiful girls accompanied by a blonde man who simply walked in silence, not participating in it despite how he was involved in the matter.

From left to right, the order of the four walking along was Naruto, Shizuku, Honoka and Miyuki. Despite the fact that they were at the farthest ends, the two were still in near proximity and usually wouldn't tolerate having the other at close distance. Yet, it seemed that she was strangely calm, almost pitying the way Naruto had been treated earlier, so she appeared to tolerate it and attempted to get along with him.

The blonde briefly wondered if she was in a happy mood. Her smile was more 'shining' than usual, catching the attention of every guy and girl they passed. Even if he thought about it, he couldn't understand why she was so cheerful. Maybe she was delighted by how she would meet Tatsuya…yes, it was definitely that.

"Naruto-san, how can you be so calm?!" The high-pitched question of a pig-tailed girl was what startled him from his trance in the last minutes, eliciting a whirl of his head in her direction.

"Uh...well, I don't get what you exactly mean." Genuinely questioning it, his answer seemed to anger the usually timid girl more and more, much to his surprise. The calm ones were usually the most terrifying when mad.

Before Honoka could tear him a new one, an equally petite figure slapped a hand on her mouth and Shizuku interjected herself: "Don't play dumb, you know exactly what we mean. You should list a complaint to the Director of the school! Also, get a little angrier, you have every right!"

Surprising Naruto once more, this was probably the first time that he heard Shizuku raise her voice since he had met her. Granted, they knew each other for barely a day, but even then no one would expect the Kitayama to actually get mad.

Huffing, the blonde answered to the insistence of his friends: "It's not that I'm playing dumb here, I just don't care. I admit, I'm not the type of person to let this slide without punishment, so the thought of lashing out didn't remain tamed."

"Then why don't you-?!" Honoka was getting a little too much on the emotional side, only to be promptly stopped by a finger on her lips by Naruto, causing a furious blush to appear on the girl's cheeks.

"Shut up and let me finish. As I said, I did get mad, but what if I attacked them. Even I am not that impulsive to do that…maybe, but that's not the point. I would really be a gorilla if I were to act like that, and plus I don't want to talk to the Director of this school…Momotaro, was it?" He shrugged "Oh, well. But anyway, I hope to have justified myself. Just like you don't react to a brat's tantrum, you shouldn't follow your thoughts every time without thinking for at least five seconds."

'This coming from you…' Was the collective deadpanned retort of all the girls near him. Naruto was actually saying that when he was the one who obeyed his instinct more than anyone else, so he was basically being an hypocrite when using that as an excuse for his calm attitude.

Still, Shizuku and Honoka couldn't accept that yet. They weren't that close with Naruto to voice their complaint non-stop, but even then they couldn't ignore the way Mozuya-sensei had attempted to ridicule him due to his petty pride. Understanding that they couldn't breach the Shinobi's stubbornness, the two were about to say something else, only to be interrupted by the mocking tone of Miyuki.

"I'm amazed. I thought that you were some mindless beast that found pleasure in assaulting everyone else, but I'm relieved in knowing that you bought a leash to refrain yourself, Uzumaki-san."

That chilling, slightly joking tone of the one admired by all students was what made Honoka gape in full shock. Everyone assumed that Shiba Miyuki was a peerless beauty, but here she heard her insulting someone so openly and rudely. That meant…!

'Naruto-san and Shiba-san have such a good relationship that they can mock each other without thought!?'

Completely off the mark, Honoka kept fantasizing about that ever distant reality, blissfully unaware of the bulging vein growing on the blonde's forehead, his eyes barely repressing a twitch at that offense. It appeared that even if he was able to control himself from killing rude teachers, he couldn't stay composed when the Snow Queen threw this sort of remarks at him.

"Ohohoh! So you want to get at it? Don't worry, I will reduce you to a puddle of organs in two seconds. If I stop you from respiring, you can't cast, right?" Dangerously threatening was Naruto's pissed off statement, his sky-blue eyes emitting promise of pain.

"I suppose, though, that you will need at least a second to remove the leash from your neck. Why, to hold a rabid dog like you, a particularly complicated one must be needed. Before you even do that, I will freeze you in a block of ice." Uncharacteristic of her polite personality, Miyuki's feelings apparently changed drastically whenever she bickered with the Shinobi. Slightly different from his eyes, her were similarly blue, but in them the essence of ice was imprisoned, a cold glare clashing with his.

Watching the spectacle by herself, Shizuku gaped at how they were so easily annoyed by each other. Did she colossally underestimate their irritation for each other? This escalated the level of 'bad relationship'!

The grey-haired girl's heart almost leaped out of her chest when she saw that Naruto's hand was twitching and his feet were sliding to find the best footing, while Miyuki kept an eye on him while her slim fingers were reaching for her pocket, thus her CAD.

'How incredibly childish…' As this passed on her mind, she concluded that it was her role as the only mature individual in the group to end the quarrel. Still, her persuasive power was pitifully low, so she had no confidence in being successful.

Eyeing the idiot who was dreaming about who-know-what, Shizuku decided to use her friend to calm the waters between the two top Magicians in the first year. Nudging at her with a perhaps too strong elbow, she ignored the pained expression on the pig-tailed girl while indicating with a glance towards the dangerous development incurring near them.

Thankfully, even if she was staring at the scene with an unintelligible glint in her eyes, she at least had the decency of putting that aside to resolve the potential disaster about to befall on the lunch room.

"Ah…em, please stop, Naruto-san, Shiba-san! We should get along and-"

Her rather timid attempt at making peace was halted when they gazed bore on her small figure. Stopping their movements, their murderous glares shifted to Honoka, understandably causing her to jolt in fear when they accidentally stared at her with their looks.

Feeling a pang of guilt, the two Magicians' emotion stilled. Calming down, the two tamed their hostility when seeing the puppy-face of Honoka, not capable of bringing themselves to battle in the presence of such a pure girl.

Naruto and Miyuki only exchanged a brief glance at each other before returning to their normal postures, their bodies relaxed and not tensing for a possible fight.

Seeing that it was all over, Shizuku heaved a deep, carefully concealed sigh, similar to the one a mother would show when her kids stopped bickering. The situation was so awfully identical that she couldn't even bring herself to laugh hollowly.

In clear contrast, Honoka understood about nothing in the previous situation. All she knew was that her two idols had been getting along so well (seriously) that they had faked their hostility and before they could show their friendship (eh?) to all students, Shizuku had prompted her to stop it, lest every male would get jealous of the Shinobi.

That was what Honoka blissfully believed. Ignorance was truly a blessing. The mood in the group was somehow tense, yet she ignored it and proceeded in striking a conversation with Naruto.

"Anyway, I was surprised that Naruto-san knew the answer! That was amazing, almost on par with Shiba-san!"

He wasn't sure what to think of that. Did she believe he was a baboon, thus startled at his sudden sprout of intelligence back there? Granted, Rossa had told him it, so he couldn't protest. Glancing sideways, he groaned when witnessing the fox like smirk on Miyuki's lips, probably pleased by Honoka's unintentional insult.

Deciding to ignore that, the blonde opted to play a little, mischievous game with the pig-tailed girl.

"Are you honestly amazed by it, or are you surprised that someone as stupid as me has such knowledge? I guess that I am really not that impressive…" He faked a hurt, serious tone to tease the poor girl at his side. It was beginning to entertain him to watch her squirm at his comments, so he decided to start a full-front assault.

"N-no!" Honoka waved her hands in front of her in denial, her face horrified "I never had these sorts of opinions about you!"

"Oh?" Not satisfied, the blonde did his best to mimic a depressed expression, making sure to show it at her "So you never had the opinion of me being capable of answering to a basic question about Magic? Well, I can't blame you…"

"N-Naruto-san! I-it's not like that, please raise your head!" Naruto might have suspected that she was about to burst due to all the pressure she was putting on herself, stuttering more than necessary in her words. Before she could pop like a balloon or overheat from her fuming ears, thankfully for the pig-tailed girl her friend intervened.

"Honoka, he is just teasing you."

With her usual deadpanned style, Shizuku disinterestedly muttered these words loud enough to stop the embarrassed rampage of her best friend, who stood there for a moment with such a reddening face that smoke could just exit from her ears.

"N-Naruto-san! Please don't be so mean anymore!"

"Kakaka! Sorry, sorry!" His tone didn't sound so apologetic, instead he appeared to having entertained himself far too much judging by the tears of laughter that were about to spill "It's only that you remind me of a friend of mine, so I can't help but having fun whenever your reactions are identical to hers."

His justification seemed to have caused a far calmer reaction from Honoka, who just tilted her head cutely while muttering the word 'friend', now a lot more curious about what he was referring to.

"I'm surprised." Shizuku commented "I never thought that you had any friends."

"…eh?" The blonde was taken aback by the super cold phrase of his grey-haired companion. Really, was it common sense for girls of the outside to treat all males in such a rude manner? "That…hurts. I think my self-esteem just dropped below the level required for a human being. I might not be the same person anymore."

Watching her idol sulking with a frozen and shocked expression, Honoka once again returned to her flustered attitude and instead of comforting the blonde like usual, she spun around to glare cutely at Shizuku: "Shizuku, you should stop teasing Naruto-san, it's no good!"

"It's called…retribution."

"Eh?! You were just joking?!" As if he had just drunk a reviving potion, the Uzumaki sprang back to life in surprise at what his ears were barely able to overhear.

At his high-pitched question, the Kitayama just nodded absently, stopping in front of a terminal to pick the dish she wanted as lunch. Fiddling with the screen, once again her words were monotone: "Wasn't it obvious?"

It wasn't obvious at all! Was what Naruto might have said while clutching his head and screaming to the heavens, but even his verbose personality didn't compel him to lengthen the discussion, otherwise he could end up in another depressing fit. Thus, he decided to merely heave a heavy sigh while waiting for Shizuku to decide on her food.

Folding his arms and waiting there patiently, Naruto was about to relax himself until a familiar feeling spread across his skin. Looking around to detect the source, he found that there was not one. Precisely, they were…a lot.

If this was some fictional work, the glares that were directed at him might have been emitting an ominous light enough to unnerve the mightiest warrior. Fortunately for him, he wasn't about to get submissive just because some students unable to control their hormones didn't like him associating with three girls.

Concentrating, the Shinobi did his best to appear threatening and sent a glare in the direction of the offending students…basically every guy in his surroundings. The effects were immediate, as they noticed that if they had to be hostile they had to expect that others didn't take kindly to being in the center of a hate storm.

Much to the pleasure of the blonde, almost all of them returned to their business without sending as much as a glance towards his group.

Nodding to himself, Naruto grimaced when he suspected that his stunt might have worsened his reputation even further than necessary. While he didn't care that much, he didn't want to find needles on his shoes or a dead crow on his desk…though he suspected that anyone in this era was bold enough to attempt at such a ridiculous offense.

But seriously, they were jealous of him being around three beautiful girls, yet if they were in his shoes that might have not been such an unforgettable experience. With an annoying brother complex sister and two girls that could perfectly qualify for the category loli, which made him sometime question if he was a pedophile whenever he looked at them, Naruto was slightly troubled by the amount of female presence around him.

"Hey, Blondie. It's your turn." Glancing down at her, Naruto heard Shizuku nudging him on the arm to catch his attention. When he fully understood what he was seeing, he rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't hallucinating from the stress.

There, she stood with a tray with different sections, each containing some kind of food as rice, curry and the like. The tray easily dwarfed her body size. It was just ridiculous when you compared the difference between them. Moreover, how the hell was she holding that?! That amount of food completely what a single human being could digest a single time!

"W-wow, it seems that you aren't exactly…picky about how much you have to eat." While this comment might have unleashed the beast that was feminine fury, fortunately Shizuku was too busy filling her tray with even more food to listen to any insult one could shot at her.

"Since this school furnishes all sort of food from all nationalities, I thought that not holding back would be the most polite course of action." The grey-haired girl said this as if it was the most obvious thing to do, common sense that was followed by everyone.

He could have just brought himself to believe her and conclude the matter if she didn't continue to add more, and more, and more, and more, and more to her tray with each word she spoke.

'It seems weird people exist everywhere, no matter if it's in the Clan or outside.' Naruto concluded with an exasperated sigh at the current situation, deciding to end it here lest he wanted to add further stress to his tiredness.

Walking over the terminal while Shizuku finally stopped filling her tray, the blonde had initially some difficulties in managing the use of the computer in front of him. Back at the island, they didn't use any sort of complicated machine. Sure, they weren't so stubborn to stick to an old century's costumes, but nevertheless they weren't that dependent on technology. Giving all chores to the machines was just boring and it also deteriorated their connection to nature.

After some errors here and there, the Uzumaki finally managed to skip all undesired windows that kept popping up and was able to arrive at his objective: Japanese Gastronomy.

"Let's see…" Leaning over with a hungry look, the blonde kept tracing his finger over the screen "Oh, there's red bean soup! Good, might as well eat it, I haven't had anything good these days. Then, the only thing remaining is…"

At first, he couldn't find it. That only meant that he had to keep at it harder, didn't he? No worries. So he continued his pursuit, since there was no way he would throw away the chance of eating that food. So why couldn't he find it? There had to be some sort of error in the system, this was the logical explanation. So why…

"…Shizuku-chan, could you tell me something?" Barely a whisper, Naruto's voice managed to find its way to the ears of the emotionless girl, who was standing behind him while chatting with Honoka.

"Is there an issue? Don't tell me you can't make it work, the menu is really simple."

"I had some problem…but that is, now I have the biggest one unresolved…" Despite the fact that she couldn't see his face, Shizuku judged by his posture that he was mulling over about some serious matter, so she listened to him "You see…I'm sure it's just me that is not being attentive enough, but I want to ask you to make sure..."

"What is it?"

"Well, I can't find it, but this must be a mistake. So…does this school prepare ramen?"

Naruto's words weren't enough to convey his alarmed tone at this dilemma. No matter how much he searched, the screen never showed any word that vaguely resembled his favorite dish, the noodles that functioned as the rails to heaven itself. But this was surely a mistake from him, he must have just overlooked the word and-

"I don't think so." As if she had read his mind, Shizuku interrupted his mental rambling "There were some protests about a scandal when someone found expired pork inside the soup, so since then the school barred ramen from being served in the Magic High Schools."

What-!

This could not beeeeeeee! Who was it, the lying demon who had dared to dirt the reputation of the noodles!? He had been barely holding off from escaping from this school because he had thought that maybe he could relax once ramen entered in his stomach, but this revelation destroyed any semblance of that dream!

"Blondie, are you…crying?" Once again interrupting his mental rampage, his female friend asked in a completely carefree manner at his volatile state.

"Ggh!" Using the sleeve of his uniform to hide the fact that yes, he was indeed weeping for the absence of ramen, Naruto rubbed his eyes and sniffed twice, doing his utmost to preserve his quickly depleting manliness "N-no! I'm definitely not crying only because I can't find the food I want, that would be childish! And obviously I'm not making excuses to cover it!"

Despite the fact that Shizuku always enjoyed teasing others and the current weakness of Naruto was the perfect occasion to launch an all-out attack, she felt that he was over-reacting to the whole thing, so out of pity she let him off the hook.

Wasn't she the best? Also, she might just have a place in hell for making fun of a crying man.

"Whatever." Much to the Uzumaki's relief, she dismissed the matter as another trial that she had to endure in order to stay within his proximities "Miyuki-san and Honoka already went ahead, so we should hurry up or there won't be any seats left."

Hearing her slightly urgent tone, Naruto broke off from his grimness and tiredly glanced around the lunch hall. It was big, very big. Unsurprising since the old man who directed this school seemed to be a guy who had as much money to throw around as his arrogance that led him to create the 'Bloom' and 'Weed' system.

As Shizuku mentioned, almost all the tables were already reserved by other students. At this rate, they really were going to lose any chance at finding a place to relax on.

"Oh, well, I'll just take the red bean soup." Surprised by himself, he resigned to the reality that he had to take some ramen with him from the temple if he wanted to consume it at school, Naruto didn't spend too much time brooding and picked up a small bowl filled with a red, thick soup and a spoon to eat it. He was pretty sure that this stuff wasn't something you were supposed to eat alone, but who cares?

When he was about to follow Shizuku, the blonde's eye perked up the moment he recognized someone in a table not that far away from him, large enough to accommodate from four to six persons, so it could receive him, Shizuku, Honoka and Miyuki.

Unfortunately, it was already occupied by three persons he had already met yesterday and a guy with chestnut hair he didn't know, but he was most likely a classmate of them.

Shiba Tatsuya sat there with a blank look, savoring some sort of curry while the other guy and the red-haired girl were discussing, or more like bickering judging from the pissed off look that the brown-haired male had.

'This should be entertaining.' Was the thought of the Uzumaki, who now changed his priorities and decided to do something else.

"Blondie?" Meanwhile, Shizuku was already walking ahead, but not hearing the sound of footsteps behind her she opted to turn around and much to her annoyance, her friend wasn't following her at all "Come on, stop day-dreaming and let's go."

Uh-ho. This wasn't going to be pretty, was it? Naruto wanted to join Tatsuya's table, but if he did he certainly couldn't sit with the girls. It was at a time like this that the blonde desperately desired the ability to create multiple clones at will, but he heard that only Yakumo-sensei's master could use a spell that focused on that objective, called Motoi, the Enshrouding.

Anyway, Shizuku had verbally expressed her displeasure at him for not spending more time with them and abandoning them before, so if he acted like a bastard once again and went off somewhere else, her reaction wouldn't be an understanding nod.

Without considering the option of just going with her and ignore Tatsuya, Naruto steeled himself for her fury.

"Ehm…" Chuckling nervously, Naruto rubbed the back of his head while glancing around, not that confident in his ability to convince someone of something without getting a severe beating. Especially if it was a woman "You know, it's really funny, but I have seen an acquaintance there and…well, you know, I'd like to eat with him." Somehow, his justification sounded like the excuse a child would show to his mother for having done a prank that got him in trouble, and given their position, now the dominant role clearly belonged to Kitayama Shizuku.

"…" In response to him, she said nothing and expressed nothing. If it was remotely possible, her face exuded even less emotions than before, basically being the perfect incarnation of a poker face. But in these silver eyes of her, Naruto could discern a furious feeling that swept away all of his doubts regarding her emotional state.

She was pissed, really, really pissed off.

It wasn't mild or weak, and even though she wasn't furrowing her brows or twisting her mouth in anger. Naruto had seen that sort of expression many times to the point that he wasn't even having any difficulties in understanding it. Calm fury was the most frightening of all.

"…whatever. You can do what you want."

Betraying her true emotions, Shizuku calmly muttered this dismissal of his presence, turning around and starting to walk away from him without saying anything else from that.

Once seeing her disappear amidst a crowd of excited students concentrating in a single spot, probably where Miyuki was sitting, the Shinobi heaved a deep sigh while desiring to punch himself as a fitting punishment.

"Seriously, I can' believe how Shikamaru is right. I really can't handle girls at all, uh? Guess that it's compensation for isolating myself from society for three whole years..."

Even if he said these reprimanding words to himself, there wasn't really anything that he could gain from it. If he seriously aimed to apologize for his behavior, he would do it later and thoroughly. After all, if he didn't at least follow his objective of speaking to Tatsuya then upsetting Shizuku would have been meaningless.

Sighing once again, wondering when was the last time he had to deal with such complications, he made his way towards the table of Miyuki's brother.

When Naruto was about three meters in range of the group of Course 2 students, he suddenly stopped in his tracks when the bulky guy with chestnut hair stared at him with recognizing eyes before letting out a strange sound and pointing his finger rudely at him.

"Ah! It's you!"

"What?"

His somehow alarmed statement attracted the attention of a few passing students who quickly lost interest, but that didn't apply to Tatsuya and the girls he was having lunch with. Their stares pointed at him in identification too, but he could remember meeting the red-haired girl and the glasses girl, the latter staring at him with a terrified expression for some reason, but that wasn't important right now. What the blonde didn't understand was why a stranger knew him.

'I dearly hope he is not something like 'the long lost childhood friend who I have departed with ten years ago'.'

Storing these reflections in a corner of his mind, the Uzumaki calmed himself internally and tried his best to keep a calm expression: "Umm, sorry, do I know you?"

This didn't seem to be the best way to clarify what was happening, as the chestnut-haired guy's eye twitched in annoyance at not being recognized. Despite that, he appeared to at least have a modicum of self-control as he not so calmly replied: "Do I know you? Do I know you?!"

Ugh, he was going out of control. Never mind, this guy was a little too irascible, he didn't seem to be that angry to the point of hating Naruto or anything similar, but he certainly was pissed off at the course of events.

"Hey, idiot, stop harassing him! How extremely rude…" Interrupting the irritated guy was one of the two girls, the one with orange hair that didn't look as if she was satisfied by the attitude of the bulky male towards the blonde. Though, Naruto noticed that she was eyeing him warily and just intervened because she desired to give Naruto a piece of her mind too, probably for yesterday's incident.

"It has nothing to do with you!" In front of the accusation from the girl, the chestnut-haired guy barked out with an even more annoyed expression than before, pointing a finger to the Shinobi "This blonde guy, when I went to the bathroom he somehow bypassed the security system, grabbed my head and almost drowned me in the toilet!"

Wait, he couldn't be serious could he?! This Uzumaki Naruto was a respectable person, and while he enjoyed pulling pranks on others he would never dream to be able to make such a wonderfully cruel treatment!

At the revelation, Tatsuya gave him a look that clearly expressed his question about what in the world happened in the short time they hadn't met each other. On the other hand the two girls, especially the orange-haired one, were snickering not so discreetly due to just how hilarious the supposed incident was. Even the timid looking one wasn't so reserved to the point of staying composed at such a revelation.

Understandably, the student at the center of this was not shy in expressing his distaste at having so brazenly revealed such a detail that no one would have taken pride in. He seemed to want to protest against the orange-haired girl who was now in a full fit of unrestricted laughter.

"Ahahahahah! I can't believe it, but I'll have to take your word for it! So that's why you looked as if you had just dried your hair!"

"E-Erika-chan, p-please stop…pfff!"

"You girls…" The guy who was now considered as an entertainment event received a look of sympathy from Tatsuya, who despite not having ever experienced something so unique pitied him, while the bulky student glared at Naruto with a glint that clearly said 'this is your fault'

Naruto was readying himself to receive a harsh lecture and perhaps a beating, as he wholly reserved it. He would regenerate, but that wasn't the point. Just when he thought that the guy would throw a punch in his way, he appeared to instead calm down.

"Anyway, at that time your expression wasn't quite normal. Since you seem sane now, I'm even willing to partially forgive you if you explain why the hell you…well, you did…you know."

"Oh, how generous." There was no sarcasm in Naruto's tone, as after a brief moment the big guy stopped narrowing his eyes in irritation and merely returned to a 'somehow annoyed look, but not so irritated anymore'. Looking around, the Shinobi paused his gaze to ask: "Can I sit here?"

After a few nods coming from the occupants of the table, he grabbed a seat form a nearby table that had no occupants anymore and easily lifted it in the air to lean it in a space between the big guy and that orange-haired girl, who if he recalled correctly was called Erika by the glassed girl.

Once sitting leisurely, Naruto wasted no time in thinking really hard about the dilemma, namely the reason for which he had tried to drown a stranger in the water of a toilet. Laughing right now would worsen the situation, so he refrained, but damn that was hilarious!

Well, he had no doubt that it had all to do with the event when Rossa had basically pulled out from his brain the substances that had made him an emotionally-sealed drunk, and as a consequence he had gone mad from either the liberation or some obscure motive.

'What the hell can I say? 'Hey, you know, I have a highly-advanced artificially-made intelligence in my brain! This morning, a monk has fed me a drug, so when she released me I went a little crazy and made a little trouble there and there'. I can't possibly tell him thaaaaaaaaat!'

Damn, this was trouble. If he seriously went ahead and justified himself with the true, yet unbelievable reason, Naruto was suspicious that they were going to submit a report about a young blonde in drugs and then things would devolve in outbreaks from prison, reports and a pissed off grandmother…at the police, not him.

But he had to say something anyway! Maybe a vague reason could work.

"Umm…this morning I had a few complications and…I vented my anger on you." The Shinobi said so with an unsure tone, not certain how who was probably Tatsuya's friend would take at having been the stress relief for a stranger.

Unsurprisingly, he cocked an eyebrow in curiosity while showing displeasure at not being given a more intelligent motive for that stunt the Uzumaki had made. Folding his arms with a serious expression, he pressed on: "Is that all?

"That's all."  
>"No other reason?"<p>

"No other reason."

"You are not making fun of me, are you?"

"I am not making fun of you, I swear."

"Stop repeating my words."

"Stop repeat-cough, I mean, yes."

The exchange seemed to slightly calm the chestnut-haired guy, but not by that much. He clearly wasn't satisfied, and honestly Naruto was starting to fidget nervously due to the heavy atmosphere glued to the air. Perhaps he had to offer a free punch to ask for forgiveness?

"Give him a break, Leo. I can guarantee that he is not lying." Just when Naruto was about to make the offer, Tatsuya finally said something to help his situation. At least he didn't outright abandon him, but the blonde had the suspicion that the bastard refrained from doing anything before in order to enjoy the show.

The calm ones were always the most evil…and angrier.

"Uh? You know this dude, Tatsuya?" As if nothing had happened, the guy named Leo once again pointed his finger at the blonde, calling him not so respectfully. Seriously, who was it that referred to a stranger with the word 'dude'? Was he going around picking fights?

"We have common acquaintances." Was the short reply from Yakumo-sensei's actual disciple. Short and vague, Naruto internally praised him for his quick thinking.

"Mmm…" Leo seemed to reflect about that revelation for some seconds, nodding his head a few times before flashing to the Shinobi a smile which was awfully similar to his' "Well, if you are Tatsuya's friend then so am I!"

'Whoa, what is this, bipolarity?' Naruto found it hard to believe that this guy just forgot about the incident where he had almost drowned him in the toilet. Not that he had anything against it, he too wanted for the awkward mood to hastily disappear. He supposed Leo was the type of person who didn't wrap it around the finger.

"I'm Saijou Leonhart. My father's a half and my mother is a quarter, so while I look Japanese my name is Western. My specialty is Convergent Systematic Magic. I am honing my body to either become a riot policeman or a mountain corpsman."

"You can call me Leo."

Naruto wasn't that familiar with the customs of the outside, so he was quite confused by the way he introduced himself. Was there any need to say at what Magic he excelled or what he wanted to do? Well, if he did so then the Uzumaki would follow example.

Tatsuya's interest seemed to perk up when he predicted what the Shinobi was about to do, thus he stopped eating his lunch uninterestedly and focused on the introduction with narrowed eyes.

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto. My parents are both Japanese, but I have foreign ancestry and many relatives are of mixed blood. The Magic I use the most is centered on rotation and centrifugal force, but I guess around here it's called Movement Systematic Magic. I'm already somehow employed, so I don't have any desire to take other jobs."

"Please, don't call me by surname. Only Naruto is okay."

The entire table's occupants and a few students who happened to pass by, all of them froze when the words reached their ears, Tatsuya excluded since he already knew. Naruto already expected this sort of reaction, so he internally sighed. While he liked being praised for his accomplishments, it was nothing to pride oneself on to be famous for only being part of a famous magic lineage.

After an obvious cough from Tatsuya, his other classmates recover their wits and broke off from their jaw-drop expressions.

"Whoa, so we have a VIP here. Who knows what will happen if I circulate the news that an Uzumaki has fun in pulling cruel pranks, your parents would be sorrowful." Leo didn't take long in not taking the presentation so seriously and immediately used it to pull out a joke, not so touchy about the incident anymore. His tone was blatantly playful, but Naruto couldn't help but smile sadly at the humorous threat.

"Ahah, feel free to do so!" It wasn't as if he had any more reputation to lose amongst his Clan members, anyway.

"Eh! Leo, if you really circulate something like that, I'm pretty sure that the most interesting information will be that 'an idiot got his head down the toilet'!" Erika didn't appear to be able to refrain from jabbing a retort towards someone who she was supposed to be friend with.

"You wild woman! You just can't stay put for a second!" Gritting his teeth, Leo leaned over the table and entered in a contest of glaring with the brash girl, who wasn't hesitant enough to back away and willingly participated.

'Whoa, they really act like a married couple." Was the conclusion of Naruto. Opposites attract each other, wasn't that the saying? Though, in this case these two were too similar in personality and manner.

"Tatsuya, are these two always like this?"

"Just ignore them and they will calm down."

Uwaa…the tone he used to refer to them was just like the one a parent would use to explain the immature actions of a child. So the leading figure in this small group was the ever silent Tatsuya.

Speaking of this group, there were two members who he still didn't know nothing about. Naruto got the name of the tomboy named Erika, but she was currently having a quarrel with Leo and the blonde had no desire to butt in. So that only left the timid, glasses girl.

"Nice to meet you, as I said before my name is Naruto. And you are…?" The blonde tried his best in not appearing too intrusive, since her appearance just screamed how withdrawn she was, so a polite tone would fit the situation the best.

"Ah! Umm…I'm Shibata Mizuki, a pleasure." Despite so, when she took a single look at what even vaguely resembled the Shinobi's figure, she immediately glanced away as if there was something horrid on him. Her hesitant voice made Naruto retreat back.

The blonde felt his manly pride crumble little by little. He wondered what was going on. He didn't think of having any strange smell on himself or having the appearance of a barbarian warrior, so he was honestly confused on the reason she insisted in avoiding looking at him.

"Don't worry, Mizuki is just a little shy." Naruto turned around to see that Erika had finally finished her fight with Leo, who was now sulking in his seat with a frustrated look, seemingly having received a fatal blow from something the girl said.

While Naruto understood that he couldn't get for everyone to appreciate his presence, he wasn't able to shrug off Mizuki's reaction as simply being timid. Still, it was her business, so he would know when she opened up to him.

"Anyway, don't think I forgot!" Entering in a reprimanding state, Erika startled Naruto with her sudden shout "You were the one who was hitting on Tatsuya yesterday!"

The accusation took several seconds to register in the blonde's mind, seconds in which the table's occupants had several different reactions. Leo's face scrunched up as if he ate a particularly sour lemon, Mizuki discarded her timid personality and her face sported a blush while her eyes seemed to fantasize about something really kinky. On the other hand, Tatsuya tried to keep a calm façade, but the fact that he kept missing the curry with his spoon certified that he wasn't immune to the awkwardness quickly spreading around.

"Whoa, man. I'm not one to judge, but on the first day of school is…" Leo was hesitant to continue, edging away from Naruto's position slowly and steadily while suspiciously covering his buttocks.

"Tatsuya-san and Naruto-san, together…but it's improper! Ah, yet I'm thinking who is top and bottom…pitcher and catcher!" Contrary to Leo's negative response, Mizuki seemed quite delighted in immersing herself in forbidden fantasies, muttering words like 'pairing' and similarly outrageous stuff.

Horrified with the result of Erika's 'mistake', Naruto whirled around to witness the evil grin speaking lengths about how satisfied she was with the results of her accusation.

"What the hell, it was on purpose wasn't it?! You did it intentionally, didn't you?! Are you looking forward to ruining my reputation?!" Needless to say, the blonde wasn't happy and immediately proceeded in clutching his head while screaming at her.

"Ahah, sorry! Consider it as retribution for what you did." While not sounding apologetic at all, instead trying to stifle a laugh, her words were all too true. Even if it had been only to test his skills, when thinking about it Naruto also considered his actions from yesterday as going out of the line.

Wiping away the tears that were threatening to spill from laughter, Erika composed herself and her smile was now more friendly and optimistic.

"Anyway, I'm Chiba Erika. Nice to meet you, Naruto-kun."

What a surprise. Despite the fact that he clarified that he didn't want to be called by surname, he didn't expect for everyone to adhere to it. Naruto knew that Japanese were rather hesitant in getting immediately familiar to each other, so it was strange for her to call him like that out of the blue. Not that he minded tough.

Also, a Number, uh? He guessed that it wasn't uncommon for someone from the Hundred Families to enroll in a Magic High School since they were the core of education in the Magic Community. Since yesterday, he had already acquainted himself with a Saegusa, a pair of siblings who he suspected to be from the Ten Master Clans and a Chiba.

Naruto actually heard of the Chiba Clan, the 'Magic Swordsman' of Modern Magic. The members were one of the highest authorities regarding Close-Combat spells, and it was rumored that at least half of the military in Japan was personally trained by their members, the income of the family coming from the fees of the disciples.

The head of the guards in the Uzumaki Clan, Mifune, had actually talked about it to him sometime. He had praised their abilities that didn't excessively rely on spells, attesting to that since he had a close friendship with their leader. If someone like Mifune, the best swordsman in the whole Uzumaki Clan, was the one saying that, no one could deny otherwise.

"Then I'll call you just Erika."

"Go ahead."

"I'm surprised, though." Leo interjected while folding his arms in a curious expression "Is it fine for a Course 1 student like you to associate with us?"

"Leo, I didn't think you were the type of person who minded about that." Calmly, it was to Naruto's astonishment that it was Tatsuya who said that.

"Err, it's not like that. I mean, a lot of students here are pompous idiots who lean on status and reputation, so-"

"Oh, now I'm the one who is hurt here." Naruto saw this as the perfect chance to get into his hobby, namely teasing and faking sadness at the expense of others. He put his chin on his open palm, faking a depressed expression "So you basically consider me as a pompous ass who relies on status and reputation?"

"No no, I absolutely didn't mean it like that!" Differently from Honoka, Leo's reaction wasn't spluttering in embarrassment, but quickly denying any misunderstanding that could arise "I'm just saying that since many of these self-proclaimed 'Blooms' don't waste a second in making fun of us, so I was surprised when you willingly approached us."

Naruto smiled for no reason at all, maybe for Leo's composure that allowed him to calmly explain his reasoning, but that expression soon turned into a frown when he was reminded of the asinine social gap between the 'talented' and 'failures'.

But he had to keep calm and not bristle about it. That kind of stuff just showed why the majority of his Clan members despised the outside as a place full of social and political disorder, despite the fact that even inside his family Naruto could discover traces of similar corruption.

More than anything else, Naruto was quite pissed about the fact that people here readily took the whole issue of social divide as a given, as if it was something inevitable and you just had to lament with a 'oh, well'. While it was true that they could do very little, doing nothing was even worse.

'**These fucking insects, I would just crush them while teaching them the meaning of being at least a respectable human being!' **These sorts of opinions floated in the Uzumaki's mind for a while, only going away once he realized what he was considering to do

…no good, he had to maintain his composure. If he just went mad like this, then Yakumo-sensei's efforts in strengthening the seal would mean nothing.

"Mm, I guess a lot of my classmates have that sort of stupid view about you. Even so, I don't plan on getting ideas like that in my head, and if anyone approaches us with the intent of doing anything stupid I'll place a good kick on their chin!"

That announcement drew sound of agreement from the occupants of the table, mostly Erika and Leo, whose nods expressed their relief at the blonde not being a standard Course 1 student who freely stirred its giant ego.

"Mmm…at first I thought that you were a bastard that had fun in pulling stupid pranks, but I see that you are a good guy."

"Me too, me too! With your painted whiskers, you have a rather funny look, so I kind of prayed that you wouldn't come here before."

"So much for not judging people without even knowing them…and you, Erika! My whiskers are not painted, they are genuine scars! Perhaps you should pay more attention to your bleached orange hair!"

"How rude, my hair is absolutely natural!"

Perhaps because both the appearance and personality of Naruto were so similar to Leo's, Erika wasted no time in pulling insults from nowhere, resulting in a verbal fight that was far too alike to the one she had held before.

Watching from the sidelines was Mizuki, who at times attempted to have them make peace until Leo put a hand on her shoulder, shaking his head in a gesture of 'don't even bother', while Tatsuya was calmly staring at the scene, careful in not showing his amusement at what would surely become a daily ritual.

"Onii-sama!"

Interrupting the heated discussion that was being held on the table was an excited voice that didn't really shout, but was definitely high-pitched in order to catch the attention of a particular male sitting there.

Jogging while somehow preserving a noble posture was the freshmen representative, Shiba Miyuki. Obviously as usual, male student weren't able to control their hormones and stared at her body like hungry leeches.

It didn't seem that she cared about it. She probably noticed it, but for now her priority was greeting her dear brother that sat there, so every other problem that could bother her was quickly ignored.

"Miyuki." With a small smile, Tatsuya warmly greeted her sister. Despite the fact that he only mentioned her name, there was definitely an affectionate undertone that could be easily mistaken as more than brotherly love.

"I already procured myself my lunch, so if there is no issue I'm going to sit too." Truly, in her delicate hands was a tray with small amount of food, yet enough to not be considered the dish of a girl worried about her body and measure.

"Don't worry, there's enough space." Tatsuya reassured her "Naruto, Erika, stop bickering and go a little over there." His tone shifting to a more solemn one, he ordered to a certain couple.

Still in their own seats, Erika and Naruto had somehow ended up from a simple dispute aiming to humiliate the other with simple words to a semi-physical fight, the two pulling each other cheek as a way to shut the other's mouth.

"Stup purring my heek (Stop pulling my cheek)!"

"Onry hi hu aporogize (Only if you apologize)!"

Inevitably, their words were warped and were difficult to grasp, but Tatsuya was able to decipher what they said to each other, concluding in the end that their quarrel wasn't going to end anytime soon.

With a sigh, he turned his back and faced Miyuki once more, edging away a little to create a small seat for her: "Here, Miyuki, they aren't listening at all so you will have to do with this."

"Thank you, Onii-sama."

Before she could even make an attempt to sit near her brother, a voice echoed in the hall, stopping the table's residents and whatever they were doing.

"Shiba-san!"

To be more precise, at first it was a single voice, but that multiplied tenfold and more, to the point where a flock of students both male and female were now swarming one of the entrance to the canteen.

Although she tried to hide it with a mature smile, Tatsuya's classmates, Naruto and Tatsuya himself were close enough to distinguish the features that expressed her awkwardness at having that many students following her like lost puppies

One in particular, a brown-haired student, seemed to be panting heavily, as if he had just ran a marathon and now arrived to the finish line.

"Pant, pant…Shiba-san, you walk really quickly…pant…we almost lost you."

"Yes…it was really unfortunate…" Miyuki replied bitterly.

Naruto momentarily paused his dispute with Erika and turned to witness the scene being displayed in front of him. He had barely noticed Miyuki before, but now he was seeing her in a complicated state of mind while a guy from their own class, who if the blonde recalled from Moyad-erm, Mozuya-sensei's words was called Morisaki, continued to misunderstand the whole reason for which Miyuki had 'walked quickly'.

"Seriously, this guy can't pick up the hint…" Erika whispered in his ear a little too closely, apparently not minding the intimacy and having forgotten that seconds ago they were pulling each other's cheek.

"Yeah, there are dense guys like him…" Unaware of the hypocrisy in his words, Naruto replied, watching as Morisaki kept saying things like how she was phenomenal, beautiful and talented, not even perceiving the rather obvious troubled face his idol sported in front of compliments she considered meaningless.

"Anyway, I'll say _goodbye_ here. I'd_ like_ to _eat_ with _my brother_ and his friends." Bowing courteously, Miyuki said these departing words, putting much emphasis in some words to kindly shoe him away, hoping that he could at least understand this much.

Before Morisaki could say anything else, more students kept popping up from nowhere and directed themselves to the table where their Snow Queen was staying at, causing an ever more exasperated look to sprout on her face.

"Wait a minute, Shiba-san!"

"We have yet to discuss what club we should join!"

"We should know each other better!"  
>Now a supremely annoying crowd of students was occupying the space behind Miyuki, who wasn't even bothering anymore to hide her displeasure. Unfortunately, it seemed that the liability of not reading the mood was something common among her fans not stopping their childish protests.<p>

Even the table's occupants were beginning to look disturbed by the whole business despite not being their problem, speaking lengths about the selfishness of the Course 1 students.

"It's pretty cramped here, Shiba-san. We shouldn't be a bother…" Morisaki left his statement hanging with a hinting tone, faking a polite tone when his eyes reflected clear arrogance. Subtly sneering at Tatsuya's group, he did nothing else but degrading his image in front of the Snow Queen with each word spoken.

'It's cramped because you guys insist in being here, and you are the one being irritating…' That was pretty much the thought of the students that weren't on the side hungry of attention from the Snow Queen.

"As I said, Morisaki-san," Miyuki now didn't care anymore about being polite, instilling determination in herself and talking loud enough to make her point "I want to sit here with my brother. We are in the same class so we will inevitably spend time together, but that doesn't apply to Onii-sama, so kindly go away."

Finally, finally, the guy seemed to understand his actions, actually showing a pretty funny face when the realization hit him. It was a mixture between embarrassment, disgust and indignation. Naruto and the rest heaved a sigh of relief as Morisaki appeared to start his retreat, at least to preserve the little dignity he could muster from this encounter.

That was what was supposed to happen.

Instead, his expression grew even more fierce, smug and angry. That same look was adopted by each of the student behind him, not even having the common sense to stop their immature play.

"Shiba-san, we shouldn't sit with Weeds..."

"We need to draw the line between elites and failures."

"Staining your graciousness with them is unthinkable!"

As things were now, Miyuki's fans weren't putting in the effort anymore of hiding their disdain for people they considered as mere spares able to be replaced immediately.

That didn't go well with the object of their insults, only Erika and Leo openly glaring at them in return: "What's with them…"

Naruto, not being part of the supposed 'spares', wasn't supposed to be angry at his classmates for their arrogant words. From their point of view, as a Course 1 student he should go along with their conceited assault, but if they expected that sort of haughtiness from him then they were sadly mistaken.

He was barely holding off his anger and fury at the display currently playing in front of him. What the hell were their insults supposed to mean?! Even if the words were pretty clear, their aim was just so ridiculous that his brain refused to acknowledge such hubris.

His hand clenched into a fist, and he wouldn't be surprised if blood began to drip from the gap between his fingers. In the first place, the wound would surely heal instantly, but that wasn't the point.

His reason was being clouded by his immense fury. Now, any semblance of pain wouldn't matter in the slightest in comparison of the offense of his classmates.

Naruto heard a strange sound deep within his mind, creepily comparable to that of a lock slowly being unlocked by a key, followed by a strange rustle, but that didn't register in his mind and he quickly shrugged it off.

All that mattered now was finding an opening, an excuse, no matter how small and insignificant, to put those guys in their places.

Meanwhile, Morisaki frowned angrily seeing that Miyuki wasn't budging from her position in the dispute currently taking place. Scanning the table, his eyes glinted at the figure of a chestnut-haired 'Weed'.

"Hey, you!" Spatting out this call, Morisaki succeeded in catching the attention of an irritated Leo, his expression already twitching in exasperation despite not knowing what was going to be said, but given the current predicament it was surely going to be stupid.

"…what do you want?"

"Vacate from that seat."

The demand wasn't whispered, all of it was bare and understandable. Yet, the sheer ridiculousness took Leo off guard, even if he was expecting any sort of arrogance from him. His mind took some instants to take note of it before he replied with indignation equal to Morisaki's smugness.

"…what the hell did you just say?"

Morisaki took that as in the same way a king may have reacted to an insignificant insurrection, snorting rudely at the dangerous eyes Leo was displaying.

"Are you deaf? I'm saying that since you have finished your lunch, you should act like a good dog and disappear, you stinking Weed!"

Leo's eyes were now definitely not promising any mercy or goodness in them, and Morisaki may have been correct in calling him a dog, though he probably underestimated the threat. What he considered as a mere failure had now the glare of a beast, ready to leap to its prey.

"You fucking bastard…"

Leo's temper had already depleted long ago, but this was the last straw. Getting up from his seat, his expression was so frightening that many of the 'Blooms' covering behind the back of Morisaki were now regretting their actions of provoking the Course 2 students too much.

Morisaki wasn't included, perhaps his dullness or arrogance acting, but he was definitely not backing down.

"Pfui!" Making a patronizing sound with his mouth, he further dismissed the threat that was taking form in Leo's gaze "If you want to use force that's fine, but the use of CADs is forbidden in campus, you know?"

Now no one could blame Leo if he were to explode from irritation and begin his attack to the arrogant Course 1 student. Erika too seemed to be withdrawing something from her uniform, even as Tatsuya was keeping his cool and observing the scene with indifferent eyes, occasionally heaving a sigh similar to one an adult would show when witnessing the complaints of a kid, but even his blue eyes were now narrowed in preparation.

"Don't worry," Replying to Morisaki taking cover behind the rule that forbid anyone except from the Student Council and the Public Morals Committee from carrying Casting Assistant Devices, Leo smacked his right fist in his left palm, a clear sign that he was preparing himself for a fight "I won't use a CAD. I'll break whatever you point at me and then force you to ask us for forgiveness!"

"Keh! Differently from you Weeds, it won't even take a second for me to teach you a lesson! Strenght is everything here! Once I cast the spell, you-!"

"Shut up."

Interrupting Morisaki's rant about his superior invocation speed was a calm, quiet, yet terribly loud voice. It indeed belonged to a male, and everyone couldn't help but stare at its owner.

Still in his seat, Naruto was supporting his elbows on his thighs, his head low and his blond locks shadowing his face. Yet, in a similar manner to Leo, he didn't fail in causing a crawl of fear to pass on all the students' spines.

"…Uzumaki." Despite the fact that the Shinobi was supposed to be part of a 'superior existence', Morisaki's tone held the full disdain that he would have showed in the presence of a Course 2 student "You are siding with them now?"

"I don't recall of ever being part of your stupid faction, Quickshot Morisaki."

"You…it's Quickdraw, bastard! Retreat what you said!"

Blushing furiously at the implication of the blonde's words, Morisaki shouted out with indignation in his tone. He didn't seem to acknowledge Naruto as a fellow Course 1 student, reserving the same mistreatment that he gave to Course 2 students. His volume was enough to cause some of his followers to flinch.

Yet, Naruto was undeterred. Instead of answering with words, he used his hands to get up from his seat and stared with full impassibility at the indignant face of Morisaki.

His eyes weren't like that of Leo's. While Leo had the fierce gaze of an animal having discovered someone trespassed on his territory, Naruto's were simply contemplating on how to finish the act of ending his prey's life, the eyes of a mad predator.

"I won't. Weren't you the one to say that strength is everything in this school? Have the dignity to adhere to your words. But I'll give you a warning: if you grab that gun you have on your side and point it at me, I can't guarantee that you won't have a broken hand or any other injury at the end of this."

By now, some of the arrogant students were already backing off, either tired of the tireless dispute or frightened by the fearsome glares of Leo and Naruto. A student that appeared to know Morisaki pretty well was shaking him in the shoulder, prompting him to retreat, but his friend didn't pay him any heed.

Grinding his teeth, the 'Bloom' tried to return an equally fierce stare back to the Uzumaki, only to fail when he didn't seem to even notice the change in Morisaki's expression.

"Tsk, are you crazy? I'm not a pathetic Ancient Magic user like you, my invocation speed won't even need half a second before kicking in! Perhaps you should be the one begging me for, who knows, five seconds or even ten to actualize your spell! If I feel like it, I may grant you that much!"

It wasn't only Tatsuya's group, even Morisaki's considered that his mocking taunt was going too far. Insulting other's people brand of specialty of Magic was frowned upon, and in a fight people would put that sort of offense as a last resort.

Naruto was obviously not pleased by his incessant yapping, narrowing his eyes in irritation. He was annoyed by the provocation, but he didn't consider it that much since he underwent that kind of insult many times.

Ancient Magic was often ridiculed by Modern Magic users due to its low invocation speed, one of the three fundamentals factors in a battle between Magicians. In his missions, though, his targets had underestimated him so many times that it basically became a common occurrence for his style to be sneered at. Yet, every time it was him getting the last laugh at his enemy's corpse.

But he didn't intend to kill Morisaki. Sure, he was an annoying guy who appeared to be more suited as a bully in an elementary school, so losing his cool in front of a brat seemed to be pretty lame. Killing for a tame reason such as a squabble was stupid too.

Lastly, he wouldn't move for first in the soon to come fight, otherwise the Public Morals Committee would get him for it. No, humans developed intelligence for a reason, even if that didn't seem to apply for most Course 1 students.

With a last provocation, Morisaki would be the one recklessly assaulting him.

"The dog barks, but doesn't bite. Is yelling the only system imprinted in your brain aside from your Magic Calculation Area? But at least you are right about one thing: this fight will be very short."

"Four seconds, that will be all the time I need to incapacitate you out of this battle."

That announcement was the trigger that initiated the conflict.

In an extremely fast movement, Morisaki's hand flashed from its loose position to his right hip. His uniform gave away from the motion of his hand to reveal a brown holster made of hard leather, and naturally in it there was the only thing a holster had to contain.

A gun, but a glance was enough to conclude that it was not a normal one. The muzzle from which propelled bullets were usually shot from was not shaped in a regular manner, being rectangular instead of round. But that was fine, nothing physical would actually come out from there.

That was a CAD, the tool which enabled Modern Magicians to create miracles. Its shape could be of everything, the only important factor needed was that it could absorb the user's Psions and send an Activation Sequence to him. The rest would be done by the Magician, who constructed a Magic Sequence and then affected the Eidos of the target.

As soon as he removed his tool from its holster, yellow particles erupted around Morisaki's figure. Morisaki's gun was already shining with a yellow light, ring of numbers flashing around it. The spell was already in its preparation stage.

In that split second, Naruto eyes narrowed. He didn't waste any time in observing his opponent, the only thing that mattered now was winning the fight. When he had seen the slight twitch in Morisaki's hand, the Shinobi had already applied tension on his legs and sprint his entire body towards the other 'Bloom'.

-One second.

Morisaki hand, holding the CAD tightly, made what Naruto could define a useless, overly dramatic movement. Instead of going immediately in shooting position and point the gun at him, he raised his limb in the air like an old-fashioned movie and brought it down only after that. It wouldn't affect Morisaki negatively since it was the mind casting the spell and not the body, but it somehow irritated the blonde that an enemy would actually dare to flail in that way during a battle.

But it didn't matter anymore, since the fight was about to come to an end.

The original distance between them was of about ten to twelve meters. While it wasn't that impressive, it wasn't something one could immediately cross due to the limitations of the human body.

Yet, Uzumaki Naruto did exactly that. Not aided by Speed Magic, his body had already honed and trained itself to the point where an initial, weak sprint could close that distance in a period of time shorter than an instant.

-Two Seconds.

Morisaki's eyes widened in front of the ridiculous show of body fitness before him. It was just ludicrous, a human moving that fast. Sure, it was well within the confines of rationality to do that if one was to cast a spell, but that didn't happen. If the blonde had done that, all Magicians gathered in the hall would have noticed due to the leakage of Psions.

Morisaki suddenly recalled something similar happening. Two years ago, when he had first started his family's job as a bodyguard to important politicians and members of high society, his first assignment was that of protecting a war veteran of the Vietnamese Conflict who had already retired from long.

That time, it was supposed to go smoothly, but in the end his first contract had ended up in only staining his clan's honor, his employer's throat slit open by a strange black knife in the hand of a masked assassin, his body flashing like lightning through all of Morisaki's colleagues at that time.

This student, the one he derided as a weak guy that could only use outdated Ancient Magic, had different movements, yet they were extremely similar to the one who had brought the first humiliation in his life, two years ago.

'I can't lose here! I promised myself to never allow that failure to occur ag-!'

Morisaki Shun's thoughts were halted by a mop of blonde hair filling his vision, only to disappear below. Without having even fifth of a second to understand what was happening, a black blur lashed out from underneath him, snapping like a whip and striking the hand that held his CAD.

"Gah?!" The pain wasn't immense, but even then a stinging feeling already made its presence known, the sensation throwing his senses off and the force of that attack loosening his grip while sending away his gun clattering to the ground.

-Three seconds.

In that instant, Morisaki had at least some time to cope with what had just happened. Now able to see his opponent again, he saw the figure of Uzumaki Naruto with his left leg raised up in the air, realizing that the identity of that black whip which hit his hand before was a simple, yet insanely strong kick.

Then, the dark whip descended on him like a guillotine about to behead the judged.

And suddenly, without being able to curse himself for this failure or the other fighter for his ability, Morisaki Shun's right shoulder abruptly felt heavy, the sense of touch lost on him, but at the same time an odd feeling spreading on him.

He didn't realize it was pain until the corner of his eye saw a foot deeply planted on the space between his arm and neck, the fabric of his uniform being sucked in due to the considerable pressure exerted.

"Ahk…!" A strangled sound came out from Morisaki's mouth, the pain on his collarbone unbelievable, shutting out his mind and not allowing him to even shout properly.

Two attacks. Naruto had started with an unbelievably intense sprint, his speed immediately at the maximum, not needing to gain it with a proper run. Reducing the distance that had separated him and Morisaki, the Shinobi had not wasted a second to follow with a kick to his enemy's hand to make him drop the CAD, consequentially interrupting the blueprint, the Activation Sequence, vital for the accomplishment of a spell. And to finish the fight, the leg which stood straight in the air descended at equal, nay, superior speed, not enough to completely knock out Morisaki but plenty to declare the battle as officially won by the Uzumaki.

The once arrogant 'Bloom', who had previously promised a lesson about his superior abilities, was now the one on his knees, his unscathed hand switching between rubbing his injured one and his shoulder, a painful look vouching that all that happened was the harsh reality.

All the viewers sported several reactions to this unexpected development. The 'Bloom' side gaped with their mouths open, some making incoherent sounds at the sight. The 'Weed' side was equally shocked, but they differed in the fact that after a few seconds a proud grin appeared on their face.

The blonde abandoned his fighting stance and calmly assumed a normal pose, drawing some air from the outside to his body's lungs, a little excited at his sudden entrance in a fight. He really was out of shape if he had to do this sort of stuff. Idly, he stretched back and forth both of his legs, testing them to make sure that all the tension he had released to gain that burst of speed from before didn't damage his muscle.

'Mm…no problem, but it's an issue that I have to analyze my body and prevent it from getting excessively worn out. If it was from three years ago…no, maybe even one year ago, I wouldn't have to care about stressing myself from a Body Technique. Guess that is the result of slacking off for so much time. And they had even warned me…'

The burst of velocity from before wasn't natural. Naruto wasn't certain if everyone watching were aware of that, but perhaps the ones who were trained in martial arts and had something else to brag apart from their supposed talent, these ones had probably noticed it. Among them, he could be certain that Tatsuya, Erika, Leo and Morisaki had some suspects right now. The last guy was apparently trained, but the blonde felt proud in knowing that he was vastly superior.

The Body Technique he had used at the start of the fight.

First, one had to inhale a considerable amount of oxygen and introduce it to the body. Gathering energy in the chosen parts such as arms or legs, all of this through the burning of amylose polysaccharides, one could gain incredible strength for a short amount of time, hence the speed displayed before.

Obviously, this sort of thing was impossible by human standards, hell it seemed a thing showing up from some manga, but it was the truth. Naruto internally mused that these abilities reserved for the Shinobi Clans Alliance were most likely the reason behind their immense prowess despite the fact that they were supposedly inferior to Modern Magicians.

He didn't bother to learn the name of this Body Technique. The first time he had heard it, he had been told that cockroaches possessed a similar skill, so he hadn't been very keen on deepening the matter. But of one thing he was sure, being that the technique was highly dangerous.

Everyone would have a hard time in controlling that sort of velocity. Without Magic to control the inertia, one would just crash to some wall and injure himself. Despite his reflexes, Naruto couldn't master it fully, so when he had stopped abruptly near Morisaki in order to not slam the guy and consequentially crush his organs, he had inevitably snapped something in his right calf and thigh which were used to plant his position in front of the gun-wielding 'Bloom'.

He was really glad that he had heightened regeneration for himself. The wound was internal, so even if someone were to accuse him of anything they wouldn't find proof since his injury had already healed.

Breaking off from his internal review of the short fight, Naruto realized that he was still standing there as if a Spartan basking in the blood of the fallen, an image he didn't want to represent. Staring down at Morisaki, seeing that he was calming himself down pretty impressively, the blonde commented.

"It's impressive. Most people would either faint from the sudden shock and pain, but you are able to steady your heartbeat and return body functions to an acceptable rate. Do you practice any martial art or it is simply experience?"

Being posed such an abrupt question, Morisaki gaped from his kneeling position up to the guy who he was supposed to hate and vice versa. They just had finished a fight with each other and there he was, his serious and somehow cool expression from some seconds ago vanishing like mist to make space for a casual, curious look.

Still, Morisaki felt a strange pull, feeling compelled to answer the question: "…both, actually. I practice Karate and work as a bodyguard."

Naruto mused, sounding genuinely interested in his explanation. So that was why he didn't hear any bones cracking after his attacks. Despite not using his full strength in those kicks, Naruto didn't expect for Morisaki to get out with only a few bruises. Well, Magicians were partially modified in a laboratory, so it made sense.

"You are pretty lucky, then. I held back, but for you to survive two kicks from an Uzumaki…you should feel proud." The blonde flashed a good-natured smile, aiming to comfort the loss of his previous enemy with a reason he honestly believed in.

In response, Morisaki stared at him with an odd gaze, for then settling for a simple sigh, yet sounding somehow relieved, the venom in the words he had previously shot before the fight disappearing: "Is that supposed to make me feel better? Give me a break, Uzumaki…"

"Mmm…if it sounded awkward, then you should know I'm not that used to console enemies after I beat them to the ground. Usually they are in so much pain they can't feel anything anymore, or their throat is crushed to the point no sound can make it out. That and they are usually insufferable assholes…ah! There's also…"

Once again gaping before a guy who switched between being cheerful to downright creepy, seeing the blonde dragging his words while counting the reasons on his fingers, Morisaki felt quite happy that he didn't finish like the guys on that description.

Still, the matter that most confused him was how this guy didn't seem to hold any grudges, forgetting his initial hostile attitude that was rightfully justified, for then starting to chat with the guy who had had the intention of shooting him a spell. How twisted was that?

Reflecting about the reason for which he had started the match, Morisaki also plummeted into the feeling that could only be called shame for his actions. Starting a fight on his own, provoking fellow students even if they were 'Weeds', insulting his classmate's brand of Magic…he thought that his parents, no, his own common sense had taught him better than that!

Holding his head up more, Morisaki observed Naruto not noticing that he wasn't listening to his gruesome explanation at all, instead opting in feeling more and more regret as time passed on.

"…and at times they bite off their tongues."

"…Uzumaki."

"Mm?"

Hearing the dragged out words of his arrogant classmates, Naruto tilted his head while waiting for the continuation. Even so, just by the tone he could partially predict what was going to be said.

"I'm so..." Truthfully, Morisaki seemed to be straining internally in letting these words out of his mouth, as if an action that was so rare he had trouble in adapting to it, much like a baby who was just starting to walk "I'm sorry…for lashing out like that." In the end, Morisaki finished resolutely while getting up from his kneeling position and despite struggling due to his injuries he bowed profoundly, a sign of his apologize.

"Ah, yeah. That's fine, you know."

Not registering Naruto's response, Morisaki made an aggravated expression and continued: "Yes, I understand it's not that simple, but even so…!"

"As I said, it's okay."

"I want you to know that...wait what?!"

In front of Morisaki's shocked look, something shared by the students who were overhearing the conversation with equal astonishment, Naruto winched slightly at the loud tone, but quickly composed himself before answering: "Well…it's not like I don't understand the feeling of being angry. While you reason were absolutely petty and idiotic,"

The blonde ignored his description stabbing Morisaki.

", absolutely childish,"

Another blow struck the arrogant 'Bloom', who now had a cloud hanging over him.

"And overall useless, I am irascible like you, so I get that you weren't instilling any malice on that attack of yours. Also I got out of this unscathed and a few girls on your side that I know aren't hurt, so let it go, otherwise it will get embarrassing for me too.

Morisaki recovered from his depressed state, only to further frown after listening to the Shinobi's reasons. Could he seriously accept that, accepting a motive like that only thanks to the other party's feelings about the matter? Morisaki felt that he couldn't get away with something so light, but on that Naruto interjected as if individuating the plight on the bowing 'Bloom'.

"Ah, but it's not like I have exactly forgiven you. I mean, someone brings out the CAD and you let it go? As if, I'm not that lenient. Let's say you owe me and leave it at that, I'm not used to this sort of situation." By now, Naruto was scratching his head in embarrassment at the excessive attention he was receiving from all students gathered around him.

Morisaki's scowl lessened, but it was still there. As someone with an enormous pride bordering on arrogance, he usually wouldn't let himself get off from the opponent's pity. Despite these traits of him, he was quick to accept the explanation. Though, right now another problem arised, and this was far more serious.

"...I can accept that. But, have you noticed?"

"Yeah…it seems your friends want to have another round themselves."

There was an atmosphere that compelled to violence right now, all of it gathered on the side of the Course 1 students. As someone with live combat experience, he wasn't oblivious to the growing feeling that the side of 'Blooms' was growing more and more hostile, even if they should have been discouraged by the recent show.

Perhaps it was something like the feeling that Naruto had betrayed them by siding with the 'Weeds'? Morisaki didn't know, but he could certainly sympathize. Despite so, this could easily escalate-

Morisaki's eyes quickly shifted to his right, captured by the swift motion of a hand being raised forward. His ears also picked up clicking sounds, ominously similar to the buttons of a Bracelet-Shaped CAD.

Turning, his eyes widened at the sight of one of his friend possessing a twisted expression that bordered not on simple anger, but downright fury: "Let Morisaki go, you traitor!"

What was that idiot thinking?! Leaving aside the fact that he was there too and so as an act of revenge it was really poor-made, the fight they had finished before broke the rules of this school and the Public Morals Committee. Continuing anymore was the decision of a fool!

"Nanase, don't!"

Morisaki's shout of warning was unheard from the majority of 'Blooms', who as if having had their eyes opened by the now named Nanase's furious battle-cry, they all began to bring out their Magician's tool. Varying in shape and type, there were guns, shaped, bracelet-shaped, mobile terminal-shaped. While they were all different, their purpose was a single one.

Teach the 'traitorous' Bloom a lesson.

Rings of numbers, shining and filling the hall in the Psions' light, circled around the impulsive student's arms, all of them aimed at the blonde standing near Morisaki.

Naruto's expression changed once more. His previous cheerfulness discarded, he reverted to the personality of a warrior, his eyes narrowed neither in outrage or annoyance, but simple analysis of the young opponents spread around him.

"And here I thought this was enough. You can be stubborn, uh? Not that I mind it, but…" The Uzumaki's eyes bore on them, and they all shivered, as if meeting the gaze of a man who could outclass them with ease. Forgetting that ridiculous notion, they could swear that his irises flashed crimson red for a second "I won't be as gentle as I was with Morisaki here. You guys aren't as strong as him, so I'm sure your will need to go to the hospital after this! Don't blame me if I shatter a bone or two, or three or four!"

Hearing this announcement of promised violence, Morisaki's expression was simply horrified, remembering his current injuries and who had inflicted them: "Wait, Uzumaki!"

He ignored him. Why did he have to listen? While he may have good intentions in not desiring his friends any pain, they were the one who were starting the hostilities this time. He was already too involved in his instincts so he couldn't stop even if he wanted to. Counterattacking to any threat that may come to him or his allies' direction was a reaction imprinted on his body since his early years.

Naruto's legs tensed once more and his mouth had a strange, savage grin on it. Preparing for battle, he was about to shot himself towards one of the girls aiming at him…

KSCHINK!

…until many of these sounds, similar to the ring of a glass window breaking after something hard shattered it, echoed around him.

KSCHINK! KSCHINK! KSCHINK! KSCHINK!

One, two, three, four, five. That was the number of attacks that were previously about to being launched at Naruto, for then being disrupted by several blue spheres of light.

Every single one of the students who had been stupid enough to attack him found themselves on the other side of the table, their Activation Sequence that was still being formed breaking like a castle of sand after a ball hit it.

Yes, that was a nice comparison. It was exactly as if a hard ball of amassed matter had been launched against the CADs of the once attacking students, now all with their backs on the ground since they hadn't been able to withstand the impact.

Not only Naruto, but every single person whirled around to see who was it that had the initiative of interrupting the conflict between the blonde and several Magicians.

Most of their faces readily turned blue, some of them appearing to be choking as if not having the words to comment about the situation. Yet, someone was able to scream out two titles and names.

"Student Council President Saegusa! Public Morals Chief Watanabe!"

With a hand stretched forwards, clearly the one who interrupted the fight which had been about to ensue, a black-haired, petite girl with a stern expression made her entrance in the scene. Followed by her was a similarly serious girl, this one taller than Mayumi, with short black hair and a presence that instilled wariness in most of the students.

'Guh! Saegusa Mayumi...'

As if having swallowed a sour lemon, Naruto's face twisted in displeasure, even though it was for a different reason than the 'Blooms' who had previously attacked him.

Yesterday, he had avoided her due to their first meeting being far from brilliant. Obviously he couldn't escape from her forever, but then again he had hoped to let the tension fade away. Now instead, he was facing her when having just broken a rule about the student here not being allowed to fight without permission.

How extremely awkward…also, there was even another Number with her. It was seriously becoming a habit…

"Stop at once! Unless it's for self-defense purposes, the use of Magic on campus without permission is strictly forbidden!" As if not having already finished the conflict, the short-haired girl named Watanabe called out to all of them. An effect was immediately achieved, and all the Magicians who had been involved in the fight bowed their head grimly, knowing that their records were going to be stained with shame.

All of them minus the victim of this whole business, that is. Naruto assumed by the looks that some were giving him that he was supposed to follow their actions, but he honestly didn't understand why he had to do so.

Glancing around himself, Naruto and Watanabe's distance was quickly closed when she saw that he was the only one not apologizing or doing any sort of gesture at all. Despite the intimidating expression which Naruto still wore, not yet exiting from his battle ready mode, the shorter girl approached him fearlessly and glared at him from below his height.

"And you? Why are you not apologizing?" With a tone that could have made a common person piss his own pants, Watanabe muttered even when everyone was able to hear her.

Naruto wondered why she was being so hostile, before realizing he was still wearing the expression of a carnivore about to leap at its prey. It was only natural for someone to get offended. Calming his hot blood, the Shinobi took that attitude off and returned to a more civilized personality, his body not tensed anymore.

"Why should I say sorry? You do that when you are guilty, right? If so, I am what you could call the victim of this crime. Shouldn't you, I don't know, bring me a blanket due to the shock?"

He tried to lighten the heavy mood around the hall, but that didn't bring any worthwhile results. Watanabe wasn't amused at all by the stunt and applied more and more pressure around her character, the students feeling more and more oppressed by the tension created.

Naruto was quite surprised. This sort of thing was mainly taught in the Shinobi Clans, so he internally mused about how she could know something like this. Did someone from the Shinobi Clans Alliance act as her mentor for then giving her a lesson or two? Then again, he wasn't so conceited as to think that martial artist couldn't attain something similar to this.  
>While idling about this, he could hear the whisper of his classmates saying stuff like 'apologize' or 'I can't bear it anymore'. They really had no resistance, even if he couldn't blame them. This woman's hostile intent wasn't that of a professional, but neither that of an amateur who was playing around.<p>

Attempting to calm her, Naruto continued with a deadpan tone: "Sorry, that stuff about the blanket was a joke."

Much to everyone's relief, Watanabe's glare lessened, yet it wasn't that much as some were still continuing to sweat bullets: "A poor-made one. I will repeat it: why are you not apologizing?"

Did he really have to answer? How annoying…seriously, wasn't it obvious? Wait, he probably had to fill her in since she wasn't witnessing the scene from the start. That was reasonable enough, so Naruto hoped that she would stop looking at him as if he was a bug once he would finish.

"Uh, it's complicated, but I will explain anyway. Here's the summary: Morisaki kneeling there acted like an ass, I insulted him in response, he didn't quite appreciate that, he insulted me, I didn't quite appreciate that so I provoked him, he pointed the CAD lying there at me, I beat him in four seconds, he apologized, his friends didn't appreciate that, they attacked me, I didn't appreciate that so I readied myself before Saegusa Mayumi there threw tennis-sized balls at them."

Naruto continued pointing at several objects and people before settling down and drawing in a deep amount of air, being quite exhausted by the breathless explanation. Not checking if he insulted someone or left something out, the blonde waited for a response from the girl standing close to him.

The emotions passing on her face were quite amusing. First, there was confusion accompanied by the quirking of an eyebrow, followed by a short laugh for then ending with a hastily-made scolding expression. What the hell did pass on her mind for that?

Coughing in her hand, a sign of her regaining a little composure, her stare wasn't stern anymore but it was clearly not a friendly one either. Folding her arms behind her, she commented to Naruto's earlier explanation.

"I see. Even so, you mentioned of having answered to his insults with further provocation. As the Chief of the Public Morals Committee, I can't accept that as you being free of charge. Your six classmates including Morisaki and you will come to my office to explain the situation more accurately."

Her announcement made five 'Blooms' groan in depression and displeasure, while Morisaki quietly accepted this judgment with a solemn look on his face, probably the only one who had a shred of decency in his being by being regretful of his actions.

On the other hand, Naruto stared at her with a disbelieving expression, not trusting his ears on what he heard. Even so, the movements of her lips had matched her previous words.

"Wait, are you fucking kidding me? Don't tell me you are the type of person who believe in the bullshit called 'both sides are at fault'."

"I am. And hold your language."

Not reacting in any way to his desperate attempt of getting out of this unscathed, Watanabe answered with perfect calm in her voice. Actually, others also thought that her belief was unreasonable, but nobody really had the guts of acting on it or even comment it.

Naruto was still in a state of shock, his face stoned in a single figure. His face emotionless, he stood there without doing anything but twitching once or twice. Even so, inside his consciousness was raging a furious storm.

'What the hell?! What the hell is that stupid motive?! I seriously want a blanket now, otherwise I will die from the cold affirmation that Watanabe has announced! I'm not at fault heeeeeeeere! Hear meeeeeeee! I don't particularly mind the fact that my reputation will fall down and down, but I'm not guilty! Also, I hate reports! They are boring, so I had always left them at either Yugito or Gaara, but didn't I already explain everything?!'

By now, the Shinobi's expression was constantly changing from an emotion to the other, this twisting his face in funny, strange, yet very creepy positions. Everyone held some degree of worry for him, though no one was actually doing anything else apart from staring, some in refrained amusement like Watanabe and Mayumi.

Finally, it was unexpectedly Morisaki who took the initiative and made his way towards the twitching back of the blonde, putting a testing hand on his shoulder to see if he wasn't going crazy or anything of the sort.

"Umm…are you okay, Uzumaki?"

Surprisingly, he answered to the question, turning his head mechanically and replying in an equally strange tone of voice. The fact that he wasn't changing expression at all made everyone shiver from the weird experience they were having.

"Yes. I am in pristine condition. Totally fine, don't worry."

Despite what he said, he clearly was not in a good condition for doing anything else apart from sulking on his feet. Morisaki wasn't friend with him, but even he felt that as a human being he had to help this fellow student in recovering the senses he lost when attempting to deal with Watanabe's words.

Just when he was about to add some reassurance in his words, Morisaki was interrupted by a voice.

"You are Morisaki Shun of 1-A, am I correct?" Watanabe said, making sure of her doubts, though her tone suggested she knew so already.

Morisaki was surprised by her knowing his name. While she was the Chief of the Public Morals Committee and had to memorize the name of the students, it was still the second day of school and thus she couldn't remember all of them at once. She must have remembered that since he was recommended for the same organization she was part of from the teachers of First High.

"Y-yes, Watanabe Mari-senpai!"

Nodding, the now revealed name Mari, she turned to all the other students who had attacked Naruto, asking their names and class, not one of them having any reason or courage to refuse her interrogation or refute her icy behavior.

After some minutes involving her walking with light steps near the bowing Magicians, Mari finally settled on the sulking blonde who hadn't left his position from the start. Ignoring his attitude, Mari repeated what she asked to all the guilty students she had passed.

"Name and class?"

Everyone expected him to say at least something, but no word escaped from his mouth. When that happened, they all sighed when considering that he was still stuck on the reason of his depression, but each of them corrected their assessment when they saw his face.

Instead of a sulky look, Naruto's face reverted to normal, but now there was a considerable sensation of rebellion and refusal on him, standing there while glaring at the stern Watanabe Mari.

She was undeterred, not intimidated or backing down at all. Instead of punishing him for the rude behavior directed at a senior in the same school, she seemed to restrain herself from lashing out before repeating her words.

"I said, _name and class_."

Before she didn't need to repeat the same demand twice towards the same person, so in front of this stubborn blonde who didn't budge a centimeter despite her cold gaze, her statement was stony, not even retaining the form of a question anymore.

"I refuse."

And with that stone in his will, Naruto finally opened his mouth to say these words, shocking the part of the student body gathered there, excluding Mari who still didn't seem to mind the disobedience at all. Even so, her glare remained quite fiery and scary.

"You are a Magician, so be mature and accept your responsibilities."

Aside from the fact that Naruto didn't believe in the concept that in a quarrel both sides were at fault, something else bothered the blonde. It was the fact that he was called Magician, a term that referred to an individual who utilized Magic to change reality.

It wasn't wrong, it wasn't incorrect, but he still frowned in annoyance when he heard that. The word didn't quite describe his kind, as he didn't rely on solely Magic. He believed there was a far better term to describe his type, another word.

"It's not Magician." He began

"What?" Mari replied with an inquisitive expression.

"You shouldn't say Magician." And he finished with a resolute look: "I'm a Shinobi, not a Magician."

**XxX**

**Okay, first of all...I'm finally done! How long did it take?! I initially didn't aim to lengthen the chapter of this much, but ideas kept popping up and I eventually ended up like this. I think I also exaggerated about bringing revelations in this too soon, but it's too much of a bother to erase some parts and rewrite them, so I will set with this. Sorry if it's an Info Dump, I will refrain in the next chapters.**

**First, before anyone asks, this Naruto isn't a dimension jumper and has been born here, grew here and fought here in the Mahoukaverse. Bringing in a Naruto from the original verse would be awkward, saying 'hey, how does your spell work?' and replying 'Duh, I use chakra'. Also it would be horribly overpowered. I will do my best to keep him as the same Naruto: stubborn, cheerful but also a little dark due to his past, about which I will leave some hints there and there, but you will have to wait for the Reminiscence Arc…if I am able to, that is.**

**Here, Yakumo is clearly explained to be an Uzumaki, even if his surname is Kokonoe. I will explain if it isn't clear that the Uzumaki is a single Clan but also a congregation of many Shinobi Clans, all of them practicing Ancient Magic, hence the name Shinobi Clans Alliance. As for the reason they allied and when, to me it appears obvious but I will mention it later anyway.**

**Oh, and a Naruto without regeneration or a dark past isn't Naruto at all! I heard something similar in a forum, and since Tatsuya himself is mistreated our Shinobi has to keep up. Also, I don't know if there is one, but TV Tropes should have a tag called 'Shitty Parents' since that seems to be one of the main themes of Mahouka beside the 'Big Brother Attraction', 'Clingy Jealous Girl' and 'Incest Subtext'.**

**I feel like the interactions with Dark Naruto are awkward, but then again give me your opinion. Naruto calls him 'it' because he refuses to acknowledge it as a part of himself while other may call him 'him or 'it'. Let me know if you want me to stick with this or no.**

**Also, no Course 2 Naruto. He has some…tricks that allow him to operate with the same efficiency of a Modern Magician, but I want to say that he and Tatsuya are pretty similar, yet completely different. The two have different kind of strengths. I always appreciate a work with different a point of view, particularly one where events aren't massively changed but simply different. Also, I am an amateur, so I'm not confident in creating new events, so I hope you will support me.**

**Naruto will spend more time with Miyuki, Shizuku and Honoka, even if he won't ignore the 1-E group. Even so, I think that no one wants a 'Bloom/Weed' believer as protagonist, so he is angry whenever he sees someone attaining to it.**

**As for Shizuku, she is my waifu so I will treat her with love and respect and even give her a narration point of view. While her reasons for befriending Naruto may seem petty, I somehow consider her personality as weird so her reasoning won't always be normal.**

**Body Technique. That name came to my mind abruptly, but isn't it cool? As Juumonji said, 'Magic spells aren't the only miracles, our knowledge doesn't have to be the end of all' and I must say I like that line. No matter what, there are things you won't be aware of, so let's put something like 'recreating miracles through the body and not the mind' is what I thought. They are Shinobi, so they should rely on their muscles, right? Even then, it isn't a walk in the park to actualize them, and you can potentially hurt yourself.**

**Ah, and the thingy about Naruto having an AI in his head…I have no excuse. I got influenced by the work of gabriel blessing, and when I noticed it, I was already too late. But she isn't there without reason, she has a pretty important role in Naruto's past, even if I won't make her talk that much since she should just 'obey the orders'. How embarrassing…**

**And the Grandmother stuff. There's no actual reason to hold her name, but I will save it for the end of Enrollment Arc.**

**My attempts at humor are bad and awkward, I can' t help but think like this. And the changes of mood, too. Help me if you may, it's my first work so…**

**Please, forget the design that the anime gave to Morisaki. I mean, I first read the manga, then watched the anime and finished with the light novel. When I first saw him on the animation, I thought 'Holy hell, is that a gnome?! Isn't Morisaki supposed to be a tall, handsome guy?!'. Also, what's with the eyes' drawing on some characters? I get that they are Japanese so the small eyes, but it's an anime…jeez.**

**If you guys stick to my story, I beg you to go and watch the Light Novel's character design instead of the anime, I feel the original work's drawings are far more appealing.**

**At first, like everyone I hated Morisaki's guts, but reading the chapter dedicated to him in the Volume 5 made me SLIGHTLY like him and consider him as at worst irritating person, but in the end not evil at all. I won't kill him from the series like in Mahouka, as I believe he basically disappeared.**

**And Tatsuya is hard to write, so he may be a little out of character. But I want to say that he feels complicated feelings for Naruto, so he acts strangely towards him. No yaoi, but maybe undertones (?).**

**Miyuki sometimes annoys me. Do you understand my feelings? She can get annoying, but I equally despise bashing so no. Even so, I find that she and Naruto wouldn't get along that well, so expect some disagreements in their relationship, to make it more interesting. Just as the relationship between Tatsuya and Miyuki is a focal point in Mahouka, you can say that the one with Naruto and Miyuki may be strange too.**

**The seal! It's always the seal, but this time there's no Kurama as in Mahouka Tatsuya hasn't created giant beasts of energy…yet. It isn't really sealing anything that is alive, but something more in the subconscious, keeping a hold for the instincts.**

**I have some doubts about my style of narration in the fights. Sometimes I see stories having a lot of pages dedicated to one, but I think I can console myself with the fact that the only two battles in this chapter, namely Naruto vs Tatsuya and Naruto vs Morisaki, weren't fights at all and lasted at most 4 seconds…literally.**

**Hattori isn't an elitist! How admirable, and he is even friend with Mayumi, not just her lackey! The justification is that she found him more bearable after Nagato's…punishment and thus straightened up, leading to her and the current Student Council getting closer.**

**As for the pairing, I don't really know. In the first place, I once made an attempt at romance in a crossover (since I love them) between Fate and TAMNI, and you might want to know it ended terribly, a reviewer himself mentioning that it was really awkward. Returning to the topic of pairing, it won't be anything specific or a confession outright, but Naruto gets some girl, yes. Shizuku might be the one more intimate with him as of now, since she is just so cute and the almost nipple view in the light novel made me go crazy. Don't get any idea about him and Erika getting together, despite the 'too close' event. I always thought 'why the hell does she love Tatsuya when there sexual tension with Leo?'.**

**Mentioning Naruto's regeneration and emotion-reading skill, if someone says that I might be going out of line, let me remind this. Shiba Tatsuya is frigging OP, he is always saying stuff like 'I'm not special at all' and despite the fact that I know his past, I am suspecting that he is doing it on purpose. I mean, decompose anyone and anything, almost achieved true resurrection of the body (but he will certainly get the soul sooner or later. Something like dragging the Eidos of the soul from the afterlife, making the Einzbern salivate in envy), a version of the Byakugan that would make Neji mad (I might put that), excellent physical abilities that surpass a master like Yakumo-sensei and a super engineer. So no, I am definitely not going out of line and Naruto's full power hasn't been revealed yet.**

**Wheew…that was long. If you read this story, please at least review in case you are going to follow it. Flames are inevitable as another author said to me, but I will at least spend some time on them…to think of a way to shut them up, that is. Also, a flame is a review anyway, so I get that, which is nice.**

**I don't know how long the next chapter will be, but I doubt it will be THIS long.**

**Have a good day…or night.**


	2. Enrollment II: Following the Incident

**First of all, this chapter is understandably shorter than the one before. I can't pop out monsters like that each time. But it's also because a reviewer mentioned that I should start with shorter chapters and then pick up the pace while gradually adding more content each time. I agree with him and will follow with this suggestion. **

**Some may be disappointed that I'm slowing the events by adding some original content, but it's a sort of experiment for me as I'm a new author and thus need experience. Don't worry, I will accelerate the story at a certain point, I plan to end the Enrollment Arc in chapter six or seven, much like the anime.**

**Perhaps I accidentally made Naruto seem weak, but that's not the case. In the anime it isn't portrayed well, but Activation Sequences always activate in less than a second. Obviously one has to consider the action of choosing which one to use and the following act of pushing buttons, aiming or pulling the trigger (That's why Leo and Erika couldn't react when the USNA spy pointed a gun towards them). Morisaki is an arrogant bastard, but his Activation Speed is high and the first move gives him an overwhelming advantage. Yet, Naruto closed a distance of 12 meters with even faster speed, bordering on completely insane. Some muscle tissues in his legs ripped apart due to that speed which surpasses even Magic, but that wound is irrelevant to both him and Shinobi in general.**

**Naruto strength can't be calculated or compared to Tatsuya because they are fundamentally different in their styles. Naruto's type of power could be more similar to Miyuki's, but Naruto relies on absolute physical abilities instead of Magic Power. And if things get tough, he can just use his Interference Strength which is higher than even Miyuki's. To not misunderstand, Naruto is as strong as Tatsuya in an all-out fight, I just mean that his Magic Power stats are similar to Miyuki's. Satisfied?**

**Maybe there was too much drama for a first chapter, but that is somehow necessary. I will tone it down if you like, but that doesn't mean I want this Naruto to be someone who fights and lives without reasons. **

**I don't want to sound like an attention whore, but it's true that some part of me writes to receive acceptation. Thus, reviews are always appreciated, especially since I'm a new author and writer. Suggestions and ideas about how to proceed with the story are welcome.**

**Disclaimer: I own neither Naruto (Good 15 years. Some ups and downs, but shaped my anime and manga life.) or Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei (Such fantasy is beyond me).**

_At first, Mari had never desired in any form or shape to inherit the position of Public Morals Committee's leadership. _

_It just wasn't suited for her. This was what she had thought in her first year when she had been recruited, and for the most part of the second year. The only reason for which she had accepted had been because the Chief at that time had taken a liking to her, and acting like an innocent kouhai seemed like the best choice._

_She didn't care about the problem of Bloom and Weeds at all. In her freshman year, she had been wallowing in self-pity for the leaders of the Watanabe Clan shouldering on her all the responsibility since she had enrolled in the prestigious First High. _

"_Mari, keep your head high." "Why someone like you not from the main family…" These were the usual comments thrown at her. She was so depressed and ridiculous that it had been only a few months later that she had noticed students who would become precious friends for all her life._

"_I'm Saegusa Mayumi, nice to meet you. Do you mind if I call you Mari?"_

"_Juumonj Katsuto. I look forward to it, Watanabe."_

"_Ichihara Suzune."_

"_Nakajou Azusa, it's an honor! A-and please, refrain from calling me A-chan!"_

"_Who are you? Ah, one of the new recruits? I usually work with the Public Morals, so I'll take care of you for now. Uzumaki Nagato. And please, wipe off that downcast face. You remind me of my little brother, but don't expect me to spoil you!"_

_Seriously…each time she thought about it, she wondered how she hadn't noticed such magnificent persons near her for three months. And to say that they hadn't outright given up on her, she was honored of such company. Still, her view about her position as a Public Morals' member had never changed, she had been there only for the slight privileges. Until a simple discussion with the one she admired, during his third year and her second._

"_What do you want, Watanabe Mari? Saegusa Mayumi has broken the terminal, so I'm stuck here. Make it quick."_

"_The reason for which I accepted the role of School President? Let's see…if I might name one, it's for authority. I get to do what I want, and due to the Chief of the Public Morals being timid, he is pretty malleable."_

"_Oh, getting angry? I wouldn't blame you, but you should let people finish you know? As I said, the main reason is probably only because I have the support of the students, though I might doubt that now. Even so, I originally wanted the position of Chief in the Public Morals. Why? For world peace, of course."_

"_Pretty childish, right? Even so, I have to save my little brother from his stupidity and low-esteem, so world peace seems to be a good solution. Being the President might just give me an edge in influence."_

"_We Magicians are only human weapons. The gunpowder had been originally created for a supposed potion of immortality, the eternal life in this plane of the world, an endless body and soul. Yet, now it's used as the component of weapons used as a mockery of that ancient dream. It's war, war, war and even now, when will another bloom again? Instead, Magic is said to have been created to stop the use of nuclear weapons, but that's a clear lie. This power has mainly military use, so we can't even say that our existence had once a peaceful meaning."_

"_Wouldn't a world perfect from every congruence be beautiful? I have to do it for my brother and my sister too. Imagine what we might achieve when not thinking about a potential invasion! Other may scorn me, but I will continue this dream of mine."_

_When Mari had heard that, she couldn't understand. Her Senpai had always been a mature man, yet she discovered such a childish ideal already rooted in his mind. For days, she kept thinking and reflecting about what he had said, what he had told her with starry eyes._

_And in the end she had decided. There were no reasons to doubt him or abandon him. She had never stepped away from him, why doing it then? Even so, she had never been a genius like Mayumi or a perfect leader like Katsuto. That was why she had wondered where her place was, what she could do._

_Support him as much as you can. This answer had come to her, and the position of Chief had flown at her like a tamed bird on her finger. The discrimination she had ignored, the rupture of the Courses, had become her main target to repair. People may have said she was harsh, but this was the way she did things. _

_And she was truly glad that there were precious friends supporting her from the very start and hopefully till the very end._

**XxX**

Mari sipped a little from the cup of coffee she had laid on the table a few minutes ago while tapping on a terminal on her desk, inside the overly messy HQ of the Public Morals Committee.

"As always, this is disgusting…" Was what she muttered unpleasantly: ever since Nagato-senpai had concluded his stay in the school's year and graduated, nobody had bothered in taking care of the coffee roaster. As she was the only one to drink it, it was her role to clean it up.

The result was the unsightly concoction supported by her slim finger inside a white cup. She liked to think that her ability in cooking were well above average, but the fact that she had seen something moving in her first cup had prompted her to throw it away and beat herself over her culinary skills.

"These sure are a lot of names…and they are pretending for me to memorize 200 names off the bat? I pity all of my previous Chiefs." Mari muttered this distraughtly, leaning her chin on her open palm.

As the leader of the Public Morals Committee, it was her role to stop conflicts, but unfortunately she also had to memorize the name of every single student enrolled. She knew of this when she had took the position, but that didn't mean she had to like it.

It wasn't a problem as much as last year, when she had been the new appointed Chief but still in the end of her second term. She had been whipped to be able to get in her head the names of the first year and second year of that time, all of it in a week. A true torture, that nightmare, she might have to make fun of Hanzo a bit as a stress relief.

"Let's see…Morisaki Shun of 1-A…I already don't like his face, bet he is another elitist. He will eventually come here to be punished, anyway, so let's go on!" With a somehow reinvigorated expression on her face after wondering about how to discipline another (possible) believer of the Bloom/Weed policy, the Chief went on with her assignment.

Right now, the freshmen classes were touring around the school. She had heard a few interesting names, mostly the impossible beauty and already 'Snow Queen' after witnessing her cold visage at the exams, Shiba Miyuki, and her genius brother Shiba Tatsuya. It seemed Mayumi wanted to do something with them, so she would leave it at her.

At the same time, she pitied the siblings for whatever plan Mayumi has stored for them.

Mayumi had also said something about an extremely interesting and funny blonde guy, but when Mari had asked about it she had been simply given the malicious wink of the Saegusa saying 'a secret'. Even Hanzo hadn't said anything despite a threatening glare from the Watanabe, so it spoke lengths about how well-kept this secret was.

Some minutes later, Watanabe Mari stretched herself on her back, leaning on the comfy seat to prevent herself from getting too stiff. Yawning in a cute way that she would never allow herself to be caught with, Mari stared at the ceiling.

"Um, how annoying, but at least I arrived at the letter U…" Mari vented her irritation at empty air, lamenting while scrolling with her finger through the touch screen in front of her "These sure are strange names…Ujimura Satsuki, Unko-pfffff!"

The black-haired senior brought a hand to her mouth after reading about the surname of a new freshman in First High. Part of it translated for roughly 'poop', so not shaking in amusement was simply an unachievable task. If it had been her from a year ago, she would have remained composed and professional, but it seemed that the cruelty of Nagato-senpai had rubbed off on her.

"Ahahahah! Oh, god, I'm splitting! My sides…!" Preventing tears of laughter from her eyes to fall, she attempted to not accidentally knock over the cup of coffee. Aside from the problem of documents currently covering the entire floor of the HQ, thus ruining them, the cup was made of needlessly expensive material, so she didn't want to pay for her clumsiness.

Opening the window behind her to get some fresh air, she relaxed when spreading them wide, the beautiful scenery that the previous President described as 'average' even when everyone considered it as a gift of nature despite the occupation of society.

Green fields and forests were what covered the field in her eyes. What could possibly match this, an island untouched by modern cities and inhabited by self-proclaimed warriors?

Inhaling air and exhaling it slowly, she immediately felt an effect on her body. After a fewer tries after another, her mind cleared and her stiff back returned to normal, as if she hadn't skipped lessons and worked for an hour.

No matter how many times she did this, she was still puzzled at how she recovered energy by simply learning a breathing method from Nagato-senpai. He had given her some ridiculous explanation saying 'don't pollute yourself with technology, imagine to be a tree in the forest'. Was it a thing with Ancient Magic users, talking philosophically?

He also had taught her a method to appear a lot more threatening, seemingly a martial art's technique. She might have said it was a horrible lie at that time if he hadn't been in a bad mood. The effects were genuine, so she hadn't mulled over it.

"Ahh...enough with the useless thinking, time to consider about what to do with this place..." Mari initially sighed, only for narrowing her eyes in inspection, looking at the artificial disaster called the HQ of the Public Morals Committee. Documents that were for some reason written in real paper instead of on a computer, boxes full of outdated CADs, some of them even broken or pampered with, spare uniforms and useless trash overall.

She had been getting lax ever since Nagato-senpai had left. If he was here to witness this scene, she might get traumatized in the same way of Hanzo due to the Uzumaki's obsession with order. Thankfully, he was away helping with an Inspector from the Prefectural Police judging by the info Mayumi had given her, gladly taking seriously his dream of gaining more and more influence.

About the matter of repairing this disaster…how should she proceed with it? The HQ were too small for the all the members to move around and tidy the room, and if she only ordered a few to do it they would prefer to get hammered and flattened by Katsuto's 'Phalanx' instead of choosing what was basically a torture.

And suddenly, a fine idea came to her mind. Perhaps an influence of the nightmare called Uzumaki Nagato, Mari's mindset became evil and scheming, a planning grin spreading on her beautiful face.

"That's right. There are still two positions in here. They should consider it as a chore to do for us. Ohoh…I feel so proud of myself!" Bringing a hand to her mouth and laughing in self-appreciation briefly, Mari didn't felt ashamed in the slightest that she was planning to take advantage of two innocent freshmen to repair her own errors. This steamed from the trauma of last year, where Mayumi had betrayed her by forcing her in working at the Student Council for…how many days was it? She had forgotten, as if a long distant memory.

Thus, she found no issues in enacting the same to her juniors. Pain should be shared among everyone, hail this twisted thinking.

"Okay, end of the break. Returning to work, I'm almost finished anyway so let's keep going!" As if that evil plan of her hadn't been thought of accurately, she lightly slapped her forearm in a show of vigor and started to seat while glancing at the screen of the terminal. She almost finished the letter U, so it made sense to continue till the end.

And she might have done so…

SLAM!

…if a cataclysm shaped in the form of a human hadn't entered without warning in her room, opening with unconceivable strength the doors at the entrance. As if a hurricane, an azure blur hurried at Mari's figure.

"!"

Reflexes honed by both Magic and martial arts allowed the Chief to whirl around in time to react to the imminent threat. What was the enemy? How to attack it? These thoughts swarmed her mind…

…before she identified the supposed 'enemy' as a crying and upset, perhaps both, Saegusa Mayumi. Somehow, the slim girl grabbed her at the back of her neck, a dangerous position in any battle, and started to rub her face on Mari's breasts quite happily, judging by the fact that the Watanabe could detect a lecherous grin before.

"Uaaaaaaah! Mari, spoil me a little! We are friends, right? So let me use your boo-I mean, your body to lean on and avoid passing out!"

Wait a second, didn't she just yell out an outrageous line as if it was a common occurrence?! Mari glared down at the President of the Student Council, someone who was admired and respected in every corner of this school like an idol. Saegusa Mayumi, a perfect beauty despite her petite figure, a genius that is born every ten years, a noblewoman…

"Ufufu! Yes, this softness in undeniable! I may have bigger ones, but yours are really the best after all! And the shape, perfect for my hand! Now I understand why your boyfriend is always so content!"

…rubbing her face and grabbing skillfully the chest of Chief of the Public Morals Committee, Watanabe Mari.

For Mari, time could have just stopped, freezing in its eternal stream. Not for shock, because this scene might just be a common event whenever there wasn't anyone to reprimand Mayumi for her perverted behavior that somehow transformed a polite girl into a heavy-breathing tits lover.

The will of the world just agreed with her in giving her some seconds to deploy a sufficient punishment to inflict on her friend. Even if they were close enough to tell each other their intimate secrets, Mari was unmovable on the law that her chest was reserved only for Naotsugu-erm, no one could grab them in any case!

Blissfully unaware of the cold glare descending on her ecstatic expression, Mayumi kept making dangerous sounds of 'paf paf' with the boobs of her precious friend, who now was merely a soft, warm, perfect stress relief for whatever made her cry.

"Ohohohoh! I can't believe it, did someone palp your chest to the point of making it as soft as a marshmallow!? Ah, who cares! But…!"

Mayumi revealed a dejected expression, as if tired of the whole parade of her. Has she returned to her senses? Not hiding a sigh of relief, Mari hateful eyes started to lose their ominous glint. Seeing the lowering of her friend eyebrows, she assumed that she was now in her right mind to explain the situation-

"But now I should take care of your le-!"

The hand of God descended on the transgressor of its will, because in this room Mari was considered the closer thing to a deity in its full glory, punishing any heretic.

"DON'T GET CARRIED AWAY!"

The blow was truly glorious, and as expected of someone who trained in martial arts, the blow was enough for someone of Mayumi's figure to fall down on the ground after dancing around weirdly. With a slam, the disaster called 'A Crying Saegusa Mayumi' was officially tamed and contained, only a mentally wounded person in its path.

With an exaggerated huff, though it may be justified due to the circumstances, the previously harassed Mari sat down on a chair near her and neglected the passed out body of the most important student in First High. She had only a cruel, disgusted line to say.

"Drown in your boobs and die."

She could have sworn that this phrase was somewhat, if not completely different, from the original one she had once heard from Nagato-senpai. The meaning was completely overwritten, but at least Mari was satisfied with what she had just said, even if only for self-satisfaction.

Legs sexily crossed while wearing a female uniform with a large neckline caused by the previous sexual harassment, Watanabe Mari could be actually mistaken as a glamour model with the alluring look of her body. At her feet was the passed out, yet fairy-like Saegusa Mayumi, who even when sleeping had a face adorned with fine features.

Yes, people might receive the wrong idea upon viewing this scene, exciting to anyone worthy to be called a 'healthy male'.

One angry, the other fainted, these two had no idea that a small, one centimeter in diameter camera was hidden among the bookshelves of the room, having recorded every last juicy bit of the last minutes.

The members had once agreed in doing so, spending a lot of money on this high-spec spy camera, for the sole purpose of registering in a video all of the forbidden and private scenes of Chief Mari, the only girl that had ever been in the Public Morals Committee without being some weird malformed gorilla that dared to call itself a 'woman'.

And these guys were supposed to be on the side of justice?

**XxX**

Heading towards the lunch hall were two girls, both with outstanding beauty, one short-haired and the other with flocks of long hair behind her back, walking with feminine steps while the students around blushed in respect and fascination.

Those two were Watanabe Mari and Saegusa Mayumi.

In the end, Mari hadn't been able to finish her task of memorizing every single name of the freshmen. She would have been able to do so and enjoy the rest of the day without worrying about such trivialities…

"Neee, Mari, are you still mad?"

…she could have relaxed if this terrible fiend hadn't interrupted her when she had been about to do so, causing more mayhem than necessary.

It was hidden from the majority of students, but even while flashing smiles as if the prime minister of the country, both seniors were quite in the negative side of the emotion charts, for different reasons.

One had just been harassed while the other was the sexual harasser, who even now, while asking for apologized with a pout, didn't regret her actions a bit. By the way, the latter was precisely the motive for which Mari still hadn't forgiven her precious friend.

"Moou…Mari, can you at least answer me? This is getting quite awkward, and maintaining this smile without moving my lips is pretty hard…not to mention I'm dizzy since you were mean…" Mayumi pleaded with all her heart, or not, whispering these words to the girl beside her while twitching her mouth once or twice.

Just to let you know, Mari didn't believe in the absurdity called 'both sides are at fault'. Doing so would be the belief of a hypocrite, as she had absolutely no regret or sadness in having hammered down the President of the student body, even if she had caused her such physical damage to the point that even after half an hour, Mayumi was still disoriented.

Everybody would actually agree with Mari: mostly, the female fury at getting groped, even when by a fellow member of the identical sex.

Meanwhile, while controlling that no student was viewing them any longer, Mayumi abandoned her façade and promptly dropped her smile, scowling at the other girl with an expression which could be called half-frown half-pout: "Moou, Mari! Don't get so mad, it was just a little groping!"

The atmosphere was still quite lively, especially freshmen who were chatting around while carrying trays full of delicious food. Yet, the same was not for the Chief of Public Morals, whose imaginary aura frightened Mayumi. She could swear it was taking form, but that must have been her delusion…right?

Ignoring a cry about someone lamenting whether or not ramen was present in the menu, Mari once again glared at her annoyed friend with eyes that considered every other existence as a mere mongrel.

"Sorry, could you repeat that? I think I may have misunderstood what you were saying."

The tone was polite and clean, a sparky smile gracing Mari's features, yet at the same time it undeniably held the hidden meaning of something that told Mayumi 'don't open your foul mouth again'.

The two options popped up before Mayumi: keep quiet like a good dog or continue to talk despite the obvious consequence. Needless to say, even if it didn't look like it, Mayumi was someone that considerably valued her pride, thus she couldn't fall back…even if she had to risk her life in doing so.

"E-ehh?" Even so, she let out a pathetic whimper before continuing with her excuse "Em, I said that it was only a little groping, so there's no need to get this angry-"

"Uh?!"

When the words reached Mari's ears, her face twisted as if a typical gangster from a century ago, her face demanding a proper explanation for the ridiculousness she listened to. One might say that the Chief was being too hung up on the matter, and even if the students were now able to witness the scene, all of them had the good sense to not butt in.

"Muu…nothing, sorry…" Visibly, the Saegusa whimpered even more and didn't mutter anything else.

About the few students that were able to see the scene: in the end their brain couldn't register the information that involved 'Watanabe Mari acting rudely while Saegusa Mayumi whined'. The human brain accepted what it wanted and rejected what may harm the user's sanity, just as how people overlooked things they couldn't believe. Thus, this scene disappeared from all the bystanders' memories, to not ruin the perfect image of their seniors they had created for themselves.

The walk became rather awkward at this point. It wasn't rare for them to have a small quarrel, but judging from the fact that both of them knew that Mari disliked being touched intimately by anyone else but her boyfriend, it could be said that it was totally Mayumi's fault, thus she had no right to lament.

The two were heading towards the lunchroom, a rather large space in which students could pick whatever food they liked. Not few Magicians were of mixed blood, so it wouldn't surprise anyone if someone had different tastes. As a consequence, gastronomies of different cultures were present in the canteen.

It was unusually rare for Mari to go to the lunch hall, not mentioning the Saegusa. Both of them often ate together with the Student Council, but it was still the second day and activities would only begin tomorrow, thus all members were on their own business.

Before making this decision, Mari had actually considered about eating alone in the Public Morals' room, before realizing that this time she hadn't prepared a bento for herself. The automatic meal dispenser present in the Student Council room was there, but eating in only two seemed pretty sad. The only other food available was the disgusting noodles called ramen, and they were even instantaneous.

Seriously, Mari couldn't wrap her head around it. Why had Nagato-senpai ordered her and Mayumi to keep a water heater ready for this year while bringing a box full of cups with that unhealthy food? He had said that someone would eventually come to taste it...Mari had thought that the Uzumaki hated ramen since he had once made a fuss about it in the lunch hall, and since then it had been banned from ever being served.

Oh well, she gave up. Understanding Nagato-senpai was like...actually, she wasn't smart enough to think about a proper comparison, but what she could say was that the Ex-President was crafty, mysterious and complicated. Again, Mari wondered if it was a common trait among Ancient Magic users.

Glancing at her side, Mari was about to let out another sigh when witnessing the crest-fallen state of her friend. Mayumi was actually pouting and on the verge of tears, but Mari had enough experience with these fits of hers that she was wary of letting herself give in and comfort Mayumi. The President was perfectly able to fake emotions and when you realized it, it was too late.

Still, Mari was a generous and understanding (?) being, so she wasn't immature to the point of letting this ruin her mood and rile up her friend. First of all, Mayumi too wasn't that much of an idiot to draw the anger of the Chief by feeling her up, so there must have been an event that had compelled her to do so.

"Mayumi, tell me something."

"…what?" Surprisingly, Mayumi didn't deny her and actually accepted to answer whatever. Puffing out her cheeks in a childish manner, Mari restrained the annoyed look growing in her and continued with her question.

"I might overlook what you did back at the room if you tell me the reason of it."

Hearing this announcement, Mayumi showed a startled look, obviously taken aback. It was sort of rare for her Mari to show this kind of attitude towards 'molesters', thus the reaction of Mayumi. She glanced absently on her feet, for then blushing slightly at the reminder of what had happened this morning.

"Ah! Emm, how do I say this…this morning, before the opening ceremony, there were two freshmen. I recognized them, so I went there and started to converse with one of them. And…well, I think I might have enjoyed the conversation too much and so I ended up with neglecting the other student. He appeared to be particularly offended at this, as when I switched to him he completely ignored my existence!"

Finishing her rant, she had initially begun her explanation pretty calmly, albeit with a hint of embarrassment in her. Then, as she had continued further, her words had started to gain a bit of anger and frustration. All of this converged in this current state of her, small hands clenched in tiny fists while her lips were drawn upwards in a pout.

"…"

Staring at her for a good dozens of seconds, it was really fortunate that no student was around, otherwise they might have frightened themselves to the point of no return when witnessing the indifferent gaze of the Chief.

Mari continued to stare and stare, never letting her eyes wander off from their target, Mayumi. On the other hand, the one being stared at was getting quite unnerved, not capable of holding her annoyance, or fear, from leaking out.

This exchange continued for an unknown amount of time. For the two girls, time wasn't an issue anymore. This could have been considered a scene detailing the problem of personal abuse, but that was beside the point and a trivial fact.

And then, Mari broke the silence.

"Basically…you sexually harassed me simply because you were rejected from a guy two years younger than you? I suppose I should have expected that from someone like you…"

Not capable of refraining herself, Mari's eyes never abandoned that coldness while she huffed out the ridiculous conclusion she had fished out from the confusing words of Mayumi. Her tone said it all about how her current opinion of Mayumi amounted at. Seriously, what was she, an elementary kid?

Keeping the positions and roles of bully and victim, the latter clearly being the Saegusa, the President couldn't accept the judgment in good nature and instead resorted to lash out at the pity that was being showed at her.

"Ahhhh! Moou, first it's Hanzo-kun that always lecture me, then it's Mari that can't turn over a new leaf and keeps in bullying me! Hueee, I'm the victim here! Why am I the one getting treated like this!"

"Uwaaa…" Mari breathed out, her astonishment belonging to the kind 'what the hell am I hearing?' type. This was absolutely unbelievable. The proud President of the Student Council of First High, nicknamed the Magic Shooter and Elven Sniper, was flooding with the emotions better suited to a child with less than five years. It was such a painful sight that Mari just turned her head around in shame.

Nevertheless, she was quite used to this sort of development in Mayumi's mood, to the point that this didn't bother her excessively. Still, the fact that Mari wasn't bothered by this was in itself disturbing.

Ignoring the continuous screaming and pouting of her sadly best friend, the Chief kept her steady pace towards the lunch room. Time was inexplicably running slowly, thus Mari wondered if this was what Nagato-senpai defined as an 'anime moment'.

…oops, bad. She was letting herself be contaminated by her idol's meaningless explanations even when he wasn't there.

"In the first place, my reaction was quite understandable!" Mayumi continued to yell to no one. Her target was Mari, but seeing that she wasn't acknowledging her existence, the Saegusa, in a moment of euphoria, tried to draw out her secret (not quite) card "After all, the blonde student who ignored me was Nagato-senpai's-!"

Mari's eyes widened when catching what would follow that. She had said she wouldn't listen to Mayumi's childish ranting anymore, but there was no way she could block out all sounds from her ears. Almost whirling around, she was about to grab Mayumi's shoulders-

CRASH!

She was about to do that, when an ominous tone of fighting arrived at their location, immediately alerting them of a possible quarrel between students. Despite the previous light atmosphere hanging in the air, that was promptly dispelled in favor of the serious mood replacing it.

Both seniors' eyes slit and narrowed in a cold and calculating glint, no sign of Mayumi's previous immaturity or Mari's playfulness. Right now, the shells that categorized them as Third Year students were shed. In their places, the new figure of President of the Student Council and Chief of the Public Morals Committee took their roles.

"That was from the canteen!"

"It seems lunch will have to wait. Help me out, Mayumi."

"Yes!"

This short exchange of dutiful words was kept to minimum, just enough to convey each other's intentions. Running to the location was not necessary, but stopping all sorts of battles was the duty of Watanabe Mari, thus she would do her best in upholding her role. The same applied for Mayumi, as the leader of the student body, she had the identical obligations.

Small amount of Psions leaking out from her petite form, Mayumi slowly began to condense them in a ball to be thrown. It wasn't assured that a fight was going on, but judging by Mari, who was sporting a hard expression, that had to be the case. Her instinct was always spot on, and the Saegusa trusted her, so if the Watanabe suspected it then she wasn't wrong. These were Mayumi's feelings.

How right she was.

**XxX**

"You shouldn't say Magician. I'm a Shinobi, not a Magician."

Finishing this announcement, Naruto settled down and abandoned the rather aggressive look he was sporting on his face.

There wasn't any reason for him to refute how he had been called. Magician was short for Magic Technician, and the term referred to people who were capable of using Magic, thus there was no wrongness in it.

Yet, Naruto couldn't find it in himself to accept it in good grace. On the other hand, the term Shinobi was often thought by others to be a way to call those who used Ancient Magic, but that was erroneous.

Shinobi were those who practiced 'Body Techniques', the art of manipulating and altering the functionalities of the human body without aid from any modern device and simply by taking advantage of one's connection to nature.

In a fight, Naruto considered always as the first choice to use his own body and physical ability instead of relying on the miracles achieved through the Magic Calculation Area in the brain. Of course, he wasn't that stubborn to not take advantage of his skill repertoire, but he had pride in having abilities unknown to most.

Thus, there wasn't particularly anything to fuss about. His momentary outburst might have been childish to the eyes of others, but he considered that as quite important.

Though, now that Naruto recovered his wits and was able to reflect reasonably, the blonde remembered what he had said and how he could have sounded as a poor delusional high school boy.

'Please, tell me they didn't hear me…'

Whirling his head around, he was relieved to witness that the 'Bloom' students that he had been about to fight before Mayumi's interference were too preoccupied with mulling over their rotten reputation, instead of paying any attention to the statement he had announced before.

Morisaki too, he appeared to be thinking about something else, his eyes slightly widened over what he had heard. It wasn't Naruto's business, so he quickly ignored it. He just hoped that he didn't listen.

Tatsuya's group was fortunately too far away to have heard his embarrassing statement. The blonde didn't know how Erika would have reacted, but his guts already told him that her remarks wouldn't be a pleasurable thing to hear. Leo was slightly more modest, but the Uzumaki was suspicious that the guy would grasp any chance to have revenge. Mizuki…too shy, not any chance of having his reputation falling any lower, especially with her since she was for some reason afraid of him.

Tatsuya himself...differently from Miyuki, who didn't, to Naruto's knowledge, possess any enhanced abilities, the male Shiba had apparently been capable of grasping the announcement. For this, the blonde wasn't that worried. Come on, who cared if it was Tatsuya who overheard him? Yet, for some reason, he too seemed to take the revelation as more shocking than normal…

"Pfff…!"

"!"

Startled by that whispering sound, Naruto's neck almost snapped (it would have regenerated anyway) when he once again turned around to the provenience of that feminine voice which generated a sound he wasn't glad to listen to.

"Shinobi, you say…eh, I can't believe I couldn't comprehend it earlier! Seriously, what was I thinking?"

There, a figure with short black hair was giggling with amusement in her features. Watanabe Mari's body shook, and it would have been an unbelievable sight for other students to witness the Chief of the Public Morals Committee, of all Magicians, to be amused from anything. Coincidentally, no students apart from the above mentioned were present in the scene, so this sight remained a privilege to few.

Naruto silently groaned. Damn it, his luck was suddenly gone. Everyone always mentioned about how fortunate he was, escaping many situations which would have traumatized others, but this time he sure wasn't getting any of it.

And…wait a second, was Saegusa Mayumi giggling too, a small hand unsuccessfully covering her trembling mouth?! He had previously said some cool things to Shizuku about how he didn't care about gibberish that belittled him, yet it was still particularly bothering to have every human around to insult you. Too many parallels with his situation in the Clan…

'Fuck…'

Seeing the pitiful state of the blonde, whiskered 'Bloom', Mari couldn't help but proceed with her small laugh that she was doing her best to minimize. The more she tried to, the more sounds leaked from her quivering lips. To both seniors' great amusement, that was successful on only aggravating the mental damage to a certain Shinobi in the room.

And this guy was supposed to be the one who was 'scarier' than Nagato-senpai, the Ex-President nicknamed 'The Tyrant' back when he had been the most intimidating senior in all First High School's history? For some _unknown_ reason, Mari and Mayumi couldn't really bring themselves to believe that…

"But then again…yes, you really are his brother. So this must be what Mayumi tried to conceal from me. Huff, you two siblings are painfully different, yet it's obvious at a first glance that Nagato-senpai and you are blood-related."

"Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck….!"

"…"

Mari's tender words, so uncharacteristic to her usual attitude, were completely neglected by the continuous repetition of curses leaking out from the Uzumaki, his body curled up while still standing, his eyes bloodshot and his breath vaguely resembling a black mist slowly contaminating the other 'Blooms', who were falling in despair more and more.

Mayumi worriedly glanced at the expression that Mari was making. Nobody liked being ignored by someone else (oh, the irony), but the Chief above all was an individual with pride and honor, so the fact that an underclassman shooed her away as if some annoying fly would surely bring forth an extreme reaction.

To the Saegusa's great surprise, Mari limited her almost exploding emotions of embarrassment and indignation, though her face was still in the middle of suppressing the uncontrollable twitches that were about to deform her face in monstrous rage. After all it would be unsightly for her, who was supposed to be more mature, to lament over a simple junior ignoring her. She had a certain reputation to maintain.

These were Mari's half-assed reasons for not going crazy, without knowing that from the perspective of Naruto, she could disappear for all he cared. This was meant in joking manner (?), of course.

Recovering and calming herself at the same time, the Watanabe returned to her rational, cold side. Her eyes were once again calm and calculating, narrowing down at the students involved in the incident. Needless to say, most of them were about to faint when noticing that.

"Putting aside trivial matters, with my authority as the Chief of the Public Morals Committee, I allow you to skip the following lectures. Of course, you will have to follow me in my office to provide me a satisfying explanation of what has happened." Straightening her back in a military manner, her fists folding behind her, the black-haired senpai seemed scarier by the second, and obviously no one would actually dare to oppose her hidden threats.

The exception was a blue eyed, blonde haired idiot, who suddenly abandoned his earlier angst and promptly stood up with frightening speed.

"Ah, yes. About that…fuck you."

….

The entire lunch room, which was by now suspiciously devoid of people, except a few observing from the upper floor, was now filled with hostility and a pressure that no one would be happy to shoulder. The temperature seemed to even drop of a few digits, the most noticeable change being the stiffening of everyone's body when they heard of Naruto's brash insult.

Reckless and a fool, that was the only opinion that the 'Blooms' now had of him. Morisaki too, who was slightly more ashamed of his attitude from before, couldn't help but stare in shock at how the Uzumaki didn't understand his current position and how what he was doing could only worsen his situation.

The two main players in this spectacle were Naruto and Mari. These two, who were both capable of sharpening their aura and project it on others to appear as extremely frightening, were now in the middle of a contest involving who would be the first to fall to the opponent's gaze.

Blue eyes which reflected the clear sky and golden pupils that held the might and majesty of the dark sun, the owners silently battled, their bodies not twitching in the slightest.

"Sorry, but I don't think I have heard well. Could you repeat?" An obviously faked and forced smile made its way on Mari's face, her cheerful visage not fooling anyone.

"Uh? Are you an idiot, do I need to spell it for you? Or are you simply deaf? I see no reason for which I should obey you and I have no fault in this whole problem that was started by the idiots behind me. Basically, to make a comparison, you are asking a rape victim to follow you to the police station because it was its fault for being violated."

This explanation wasn't actually that stupid or thought up on the second. Naruto's reasoning was perfectly understandable, and while his comparison was hardly appropriate in this time, everyone collectively agreed with him. Even Mari had to accept it.

Still, this wasn't the point. Excluding the fact that he had previously insulted her, thus potentially being enough to warrant a punishment and penalty from her, Mari's true objective was having him follow hew to easily converse with him in private. There was no implication in here, she just desired to speak to him about his brother without any interference.

She could plan for this on another day, preferably not in the middle of a magic incident, but that consideration didn't pass in the Chief's mind, her brain preferring the option of further increasing her hostility in response to the freshman's equal augmenting.

Furthermore, Watanabe Mari was one of the three most influential students in First Magic High School. Her ability far surpassed that of a normal senior, and her reputation wasn't something she desired to abandon for the simple sake of petty pride. As the Chief, she couldn't be weak or suppressed by others.

And she had to kneel down to this brat's threats? No, that option was one she would never take. Even if with force, even if she had to appear as an overbearing ruler to the brother of Nagato-senpai, Mari would make him understand who was currently the Magician with the higher chances of winning the dispute.

"So…are you implying that you won't obey my authority? I will warn you this single time, consider yourself lucky. _Follow me_, and you will have no problem. It's an order. Do you intend to ignore it, First Year Uzumaki Naruto?"

This was a clear abuse of power, but no one could reprimand her for it. Students may not like it, but the three leaders of the student body who each commanded the organizations that handled the clubs and school itself, they were untouchable in the school grounds both for their Magic Power and authority. Even if one of them broke the rules, it could be easily covered up.

Mari was prideful, but in this room there was another Magician, or Shinobi, that had enormous confidence in himself and believed in his strength to be the mightiest. Differently from her, who couldn't fall back to keep her imposing figure as how the student body viewed her, Naruto's mind simply processed this whole situation as someone insulting him and so the consequence was only clear.

If she seriously desired to compel him to obey her orders, then she only had to do her best. His reason could be evaluated as petty and ridiculous, but he had long promised himself that allowing others to trample on you was a mistake.

'If that time I had been stronger…' Naruto thought, before dispelling his reflections. Keeping his gaze strong, he spoke.

"And if I don't want to obey you like a dog, what will you do, Watanabe Mari-senpai? Don't tell me you are going to attack me? Aren't both sides at fault?" Naruto taunted her by reciting her previous statement, which he still found quite ridiculous.

More importantly, the blonde felt something in his body. A rush of excitement spreading through his veins, carried by his blood and pumped at high speed. That was what was happening right now.

His classmates from before were weak, weak, too weak! He had heard that outsiders, the Modern Magicians, were obligated in having at least a decent training in self-defense, but that hadn't been so apparent to him. Their legs were slouchy, they didn't have a good hold on the ground, and they dared to call themselves strong? All they could do was casting spell while praying, or honestly believing, that the enemy wouldn't interfere in the process.

He was moderately disappointed. At least Morisaki had a sufficient amount of physical resistance to pain. The Uzumaki didn't know about how he would have reacted to someone screaming at an injury he considered light. But even then, Morisaki too had been far too arrogant, leading to his defeat.

Yet…this woman standing proudly in front of him was strong. She had said some funny things about how she would give him a chance to go with her quietly, but judging by her tense stance, she had expected a fight all along.

Nagato-nii had mentioned that there were students here who weren't total losers or assholes. He had discussed about a woman with considerable skill at the sword and enough judgment to not rely on only Magic. And Watanabe Mari had to be the one.

Naruto felt another sound from his head, a metallic click, but continued to shrug it off in favor of grinning savagely at the prospective of a good fight. He truly appeared as a red beast, his eyes starting to gain a weird tonality to them.

"Tch! So you won't surrender…" It was clear to Mari that he had no intention to surrender peacefully. She was the one to initiate the hostilities by somehow provoking him, but she had no intention to admonish herself for this. It was done already, and even then she considered it as the Uzumaki's partial fault for not obeying her.

Sliding her feet apart, Mari was about to prepare for a fight. She had confidence in herself, for good reasons, and didn't possess low esteem to the point of thinking that a first year could outdo her. Granted, an Uzumaki couldn't be normal, their potential stacked as much as an heir to the Hundred Families…nay, perhaps even the Ten Master Clans.

Preparing to draw a Weaponized-Integrated CAD strapped around her left thigh, in the form of a device similar to a sword, her fingers twitched in order to press the buttons on the Generalized CAD on her wrist. Two Casting Assistant Devices couldn't work together, the psions waves would cancel each other out, but that didn't mean she couldn't activate a spell one after another. It would be tiring for sure, but her instinct told her a single thing about the beasty posture of the blonde in front of her…

He was dangerous.

Narrowing her golden eyes and shifting to almost drawing her blade, the actions seemed to send another pump of excitement in Naruto's system, his eyes finally gaining a tone of crimson red.

And before they could jump at each other's throat…

"Okay, okay, this is enough~"

…a cheery voice brought them out of their own personal world.

Naruto already facing her, only Mari abandoned her actions while turning around in surprise at the frisky tone of her friend, Saegusa Mayumi. In fact, she hadn't heard her talk or interfere for a while. Could it be that she had been waiting for the right time to strike?

"What are you saying, Mayumi? If he wants to get at it, I see no reason to-!"

"My my, Mari, you are being too rash again. It's fine, right? After all, I'm sure Naruto-kun didn't mean all of that." Her eyes closed in a friendly gesture, she slightly bowed, or more like pointed her head towards the blonde, while winking secretly at him "It's the truth, right?"

The fuck? This single word was processed in Naruto's gears, not quite understanding why she was interfering. Well, the most likely explanation was that since she was the President, she had to prevent any potential fights that could present injuries.

Still, the Shinobi was pretty impressed by how the Saegusa had reined her fellow ruler in. Putting that trivia aside, what infuriated him the most was how she had winked at him, called him by his first name so familiarly (not that he minded) and had sneaked in a suggestive tone that basically screamed 'you are in my debt'. In fact, almost everything she had done pissed him off.

Though, Naruto guessed that he could be at least a little more grateful. Bloodlust had been taking the advantage in him, thus he was relieved that nothing else beyond a few taunts and a near initiation of a fight happened. He wasn't that hesitant in starting a battle, but even the blonde understood that there was a place and time for everything. He was sure he had heard that line in a game.

While mulling over this, Mari glanced at her side to where Mayumi was still smiling. The short-haired girl heaved a small sigh, not believing that she too had almost conceded in her frustration and had been about to take it out on her junior.

Relaxing her body, she left the grasp she had on her retractable sword under the uniform while tiding the cloth that was slightly crumbled due to her taking battle position.

"Thank you, Mayumi. I guess I owe you again…" With a grateful but unsure tone, the Chief spoke to her friend. If she was correct, what was going to happen next wouldn't be good.

"That's a given, Mari~" As if a shadow dawned on her visage, her figure was quickly shifting to a more scary look.

The almost too chirpy voice made Mari groan in displeasure. Whenever it happened, the consequences of being indebted with the Saegusa were quite terrifying. Hanzo could testimony…if he didn't faint in the middle of the explanation, that is.

Finishing the small exchange of words that was more like a human signing a contract that would rob it of its soul, Mari's expression turned once again from despaired over her deal with Mayumi to serious when being reminded of how the situation hadn't been resolved yet.

Gazing at the still tense figure of Uzumaki Naruto, she slit her eyes over what she considered as an extremely strange happening, even for the freaks of nature that were the Magicians.

His eyes had red pupils. That wasn't normal at all and many could actually support her claim. Moreover, she was certain that his eyes were previously of an innocent sky blue, but now they were more akin to the crimson red of a murderer.

'Just what the hell is your brother, Nagato-senpai?'

Reflecting on these thoughts, her intention of speaking to Naruto was stolen by the President of the Student Council. Mari's role was apprehending the wrongdoers in the school, but the assignment of talking them down and negotiating on the spot of the incident was rightfully of Mayumi's possession.

Leaning over once again, her eyes dipping on him despite how frightening his glare could appear to others, the Saegusa grinned good-naturedly at the blonde Shinobi: "Now, Naruto-kun, we won't do anything to you, so could you come over here?"

Hearing this proposition, the one being talked to couldn't bring himself to trust this weird woman. The first time he had met her, he had sensed great frustration and stress in her soul, thus her current personality and actions were something which vastly crept him out. Adding more to it, what she had just said to convince him seemed more appropriate to the pick-up line used by a pedophile while offering candy to a kid. Who know, perhaps it was her hobby?

"Umm…no, I think I will do great right here. Can we conclude this issue without me having to take responsibility for something I haven't done? Just apprehend these guys behind me and get it done with." His voice vaguely resembling that of a tired old man, his words leaked out like an ancient tale. He simply didn't trust, and this far didn't like, the woman named Saegusa Mayumi.

She appeared undeterred to his whole refusal of her 'generosity', still sporting a beautiful smile that would have made her fans swoon over her for decades. Walking towards him with slow steps, the natural reaction of the Shinobi was perking up and tensing once again.

No matter from what angle, this scene seemed as if a situation where the policeman attempted to calm down and make the criminal drop down the gun. Except that this time the policeman was a seemingly frail girl that possessed rare talent possible only every 10 years while the criminal was a highly dangerous individual that could destroy an entire pillar of reinforced concrete bare-handed.

The odds were obviously on Naruto's side, yet he couldn't help but be unnerved by the way Mayumi approached him so calmly.

"Come on, don't say that~. Mari might have sounded offensive, but we just want you along to provide us about what has really happened. We won't hurt you, after all we are your seniors!"

No, it wasn't as if they could harm him in any way even if they wanted to. He didn't want to come out as arrogant, but Modern Magicians who didn't incorporate their spells with their bodies or used martial arts were usually the easiest targets, his special skills being the perfect countermeasure. Moreover, unless they had Magic that could immediately blow his entire head off, then he could be considered an unbeatable boss.

He wanted to say all of that in her face, but even the blonde understood that doing so would do nothing but compromise his situation here. Worst scenario, he would be expelled, and despite how he appeared to behave, the Shinobi didn't desire such an outcome. Coming to school would be infinitely better than staying locked in the temple doing nothing all day. If only he had at least an internet connection…

Seeing that Naruto wasn't responding to her attempt at bringing him to her, Mayumi kept her smile and continued: "We won't put anything negative in your curriculum. After all, you were just defending yourself from harm."

"No, it's not like I give a damn about that…you can put whatever you want, but I just want to get it done with."

"Then coming with us would be the quickest way to end our business.

"Preferably without having to follow you girls, thanks."

"We have some candies in the Public Morals Committee's office. Don't you want any?"

"What the hell, are you treating me as a kid?! I don't' even like sweet things! "

This exchange of unsuccessful attempts at convincing Naruto to calm down and think reasonably while the latter couldn't restrain himself from acting like a wild delinquent that refused to come to the police station, continued nonchalantly.

Mari just made an extremely uncaring method of showing her disinterest about the whole situation, so different from her previous attitude, by picking on her nails or looking around. For some reason, Tatsuya's group was still there, its members observing the discussion between a Saegusa and Uzumaki with amusement (mostly Leo and Erika). A crowd had already formed several minutes ago, and as if a universal law was acting in here, time seemed to not continue its course to allow the flowing words of the two Magicians to proceed undisturbed.

Ah, by the way, the idiot 'Blooms' who earlier had tried to assault in revenge the blonde Shinobi were now laying on the cold ground, some weird liquid leaking from their mouth, their eyes rolled back to their skull. They had fainted back when Mari and Naruto had silently aimed their eyes to each other, the pressure of their aura apparently being far too much for their mental states.

But nobody gave a damn, so they were sadly neglected by everyone.

Minutes passed. Unbelievably, every single student stayed despite how lessons were on the verge of restarting again.

"As I said, I don't really want to come with you! Damn, why the hell are you so annoying?!"

"It's you who is being the stubborn person, Naruto-kun. Just drag yourself here or find some sort of efficient method to conclude this.

"You really weren't listening to me!"

Meanwhile, the negotiations continued to unfold, but as some minutes passed, both the participants were starting to lose their cool. Well, mostly Mayumi since Naruto had been long pissed off about this whole matter that needed him to obey the President's orders.

As childish as this may have sounded, he still held a grudge against the Elven Sniper for having ignored him back in the first day. Thus, he was prolonging this discussion with her for two motives: he didn't want to stay with her more than necessary, at least until he forgave her. Second, he was pretty confident in his ability to consume people's patience. As Rossa had said, he appeared to possess an insane gift in this department. Watching as the small senpai was slowly but steadily being irritated, that satisfied him.

This wouldn't have ended for a long time, if the Saegusa didn't unintentionally mutter some words, having almost given up on using the negotiation skills she was so proud of.

"Listen, Naruto-kun. We won't do anything to you, we won't ruin your reputation with the students by punishing you, we just want to ask you a question or two! Could you come with us?"

"…"

"Well?"

"…you just asked two questions."

Terrifying gagging sounds ascended from Mayumi's throat. Fortunately for her they were not heard by anyone other than Naruto. They were extremely quiet, but just by listening to them, the blonde was starting to regret having pushed her so far. He was suddenly asking himself if some sort of god up there wasn't intentionally prolonging this issue for the sake of self-satisfaction or for the entertainment of other gods…of course that would be ridiculous.

Not even the ever calm and peaceful Mayumi could take this cruel treatment. It was commendable that she was still attempting to hide her stress from the crowd of students gathered around, but soon even that would vanish.

The words leaking, dragging themselves out from her, were notably the last line of defense. If Naruto continued to be a smartass, chaos would ensue.

"_Please_! You just have to skip the following lessons. It's not anything special, I'm only asking you that…"

"Wait, could you repeat that?" His voice was almost hopeful, as if having found a ray of sunlight in the coldest tundra.

Mayumi almost started to employ her CAD at that, but hearing that the question was genuine, she gritted her teeth and complied with it.

"You…! I said that you only need to skip _a few hours of lessons_. I understand that it may be unfavorable as this is the second day, but-"

"I will gladly come!"

And with that, the problem of having Uzumaki Naruto follow two of the three rulers in First High School, was resolved in the most ridiculous, disappointing way possible. As Naruto had previously said, it appeared as if a god up there was simply tired and thus preferred to end the matter quickly…

Of course that was impossible.

**XxX**

'What…the…fuck.'

That was what Shiba Tatsuya was currently thinking. Swearing like this, even if it was in his mind, was quite uncharacteristic of him, but he seriously couldn't help it.

Utterly ignored (not like he cared) from the whole business, events had unfolded and proceeded so quickly that his brain couldn't process the outcome not for the speed, but because of the weirdness of it.

First of all, the speed with which Naruto had reached and attacked that annoying guy in the same class as Miyuki.

It wasn't normal, it couldn't be. Magic could have produced such an effect, but how could he do so without activating a Personal-Speed Type Spell?

The cause of his confusion was born from that. Nothing escaped from Tatsuya's sight, literally _nothing_ could. Not only he, everyone would have noticed the use of Magic by the leakage of Psions, but even that was null.

The only hint he possessed was that he had detected an excessive amount of cellular activity and augmented speed in the blood's flow in the blonde's body. That was all Tatsuya had to work on a hypothesis. Nothing more and even then, any other hint would have only distracted him more.

Other trivial matters that had succeeded that unbelievable happening could be ignored. The single element that didn't fit in his mind was what had lead the guy he 'trusted' to gain such physical strength to the point of being on par to that of a Speed-Type spell casted by a strongly gifted Magician.

Truth was: Shiba Tatsuya didn't trust Uzumaki Naruto at all.

How could he? The blonde was probably the perfect example of a suspicious individual. Despite how he was a close acquaintance of Yakumo-sensei, that meant absolutely nothing. The monk himself was hard to believe, saying to have faith in someone in cahoots with that fake Shinobi was beyond accomplishable.

That time in which he had given Naruto a 'task' to protect Miyuki…there was no way he would have seriously considered it. He was sure that in the blonde's mind must have passed a shocked thought. Tatsuya was his sister's Guardian, her life was his priority. Assigning it to a total stranger that had suspicions about his identity would mark him as a failure in even keeping her a bit safe.

Last night, he had discussed with Miyuki about it. When he had, on the first day, reviewed the boards with the members of each classroom, they had been divided in alphabetic order and Magic Power order. Listed in second place, just below his precious sister, had been Uzumaki Naruto.

Since they weren't in the same class, Tatsuya couldn't take care of him or guard him, so he had no way of planning anything in advance. With the limited abilities he could employ, it would be extremely difficult.

That was when Miyuki had insisted in helping him in the job, saying 'such an unbecoming individual is barely worth of Onii-sama's attention'. Putting her unnatural hate for the Uzumaki aside, the only answer Tatsuya had given was one: "Absolutely no". True to his protective nature, the male Shiba hadn't allowed it…at first.

Despite him fervently forbidding it, in the end Tatsuya had been unwillingly convinced to allow her to lead the role of monitoring the blonde's movements for anything suspicious or an opening to take advantage of and thus dispose of him. He had tried to establish a fake sense of security in him by unconditionally 'trusting' him by offering him a job, but that was only to have him closer to Miyuki so that she could have an easier time.

Yet, Tatsuya just received information that the two's relationship had taken a substantial blow, making Miyuki's task considerably more difficult or nigh impossible.

During the whole discussion between the Chief of the Public Morals Committee, Watanabe Mari, and Naruto, Tatsuya had discussed this with his sister. She had just sheepishly responded that she couldn't suppress her ire when staring at his face.

Needless to say, that had only confused the Guardian even more. Miyuki wasn't a girl that openly wronged others, and even then she never attempted to cut ties with someone so rudely. She had been raised this way, so it could be hardly called her responsibility.

Thus, this raised another dilemma regarding the blonde. Why was he so despised by Miyuki? For all Tatsuya knew, the blonde was cheerful and had charisma that could attract others. Maybe slightly irritating due to his antics, but hating his very being was over the line.

Though, Tatsuya had a mental condition for which his opinion might as well be disregarded. He didn't understand the concept of hate at all either.

'Mmm...this is all very confusing...' Rubbing his temples in a rare occurrence of tiredness, Tatsuya began to drop all of this thinking. There were currently too many questions, ones he would leave for a more appropriate time.

"Onii-sama, are you all right?" Overly concerned, Miyuki turned from solemnly observing Naruto following a wasted Saegusa Mayumi to her beloved brother, her eyebrows dropped in a sad expression.

Chuckling good-naturedly, the male Shiba raised himself up from his seat and started to gently stroke the top of her soft hair, a loving expression having made its way on his usually indifferent face.

"I'm completely fine, Miyuki. You should take care of yourself, not me."

In response at that, the younger sister blushed as an affectionate glint shone in her eyes, and as if a whole new world opened up at this gesture, it seemed as if sparkles and flowers were dancing around the pair of siblings.

"Onii-sama..."

Indeed, if it were from the perspective of a complete stranger, nobody would suspect that they were related by blood. These two had all the necessary attributes to pass off as two extremely intimate lovers.

"Oioi…you two…"

This wasn't the case for a certain swordswoman named Chiba Erika, daughter of the 'One Thousand' of the Hundred Families, the Chiba Clan. Her red eyes floated from observing the main attraction in the lunch room to the side show about two incestuous siblings.

Muttering warning words, it seemed effective as the two separated from their private moment. It was their fault for doing it right here, so Miyuki didn't blame Erika for warning them to find at least a room. One blushing and the other completely indifferent, another issue resolved itself.

"Ah, still…I can't believe I was right…" Yet, Erika sighed as if another damn problem sprouted out from the ground, carrying with it a mysterious fruit of unknown origin.

Of course, this prompted the listeners to lend her an ear. All the occupants of the table caught her words and forgot the ongoing chaos in the lunch hall in favor of paying their attention to the orange-haired 'Weed'.

"Would you explain it for us, Erika?" Asking in a courteous manner was Tatsuya.

Showing a rare, troubled emotion on her fine features, she frowned as if thinking of a complicated matter.

"That guy…Naruto, right?"

"Yes, that is his name."

This wariness was in contrast to the friendly disposition she had demonstrated to the blonde earlier. Erika was an easily approachable girl, so this dark side was uncharacteristic to her. The group couldn't help but get more curious by the second, unconsciously leaning in.

"…I guess you have really special friends, Tatsuya-kun." Not sarcastic, but analyzing, Erika stared at void air while covering her mouth with a hand. This could be seen as a rude gesture, but nobody cared "I said something about how I didn't want him to come to this table, do you remember?"

After nodding once, she proceeded with her explanation.

"It wasn't as if I was joking, neither being overly serious. But that guy is...I can't explain myself, but the first time I saw him, I almost jumped out of my seat. His posture, body build and movements are too natural and controlled at the same time. His breathing too, it looked as if he aimed to exhale and inhale only the necessary amount. It's an odd combination, but that just add more to how amazing this is."

"I don't want to sound offensive, but he is extremely dangerous."

Shifting her eyes to his, her gaze was fierce and aggressive. Commenting so rudely about someone you barely knew while basically warning Tatsuya to not involve himself anymore with Naruto…

Instead of feeling troubled by it, Tatsuya actually agreed with her. Despite the cheery disposition of the blonde, he couldn't hold himself from judging the whiskered student as only a simple talented Magician. There was surely something else down there.

Other hums of agreement were barely audible near the table, the other occupants not as brash and reckless as Erika to be able to gossip like that about an individual they had yet to profoundly socialize with.

Mizuki held her hands on her chest, as if ruminating over something she remembered in regard to Naruto. Leo too, he tried to not appear conspicuous, but his features clearly showed that he partially had to agree with the Chiba's words, no matter how much he disliked it. Mizuki softly touched her glasses and then frowned.

Tatsuya didn't even bother to turn around and observe Miyuki's reaction to this revelation. He was sure that she too completely understood the others' feelings, in her biased manner. The male Shiba didn't feel particularly surprised though, perhaps because he had seen something similar years ago…

Pain pierced his head.

'If I remember correctly, it was…wait, when did I have such an experience? No, I have never met someone with controlled movements to Naruto's degree…it's probably my imagination.'

Tatsuya felt a light pang of pain in his head. Sweat started to slowly roll down on his forehead. His eyes grimacing, he tried to remember…no, find out the cause of this suffering. It wasn't particularly bothering, yet he couldn't help but further think and thus increase the pain…

"_Why should I apologize? She was the one to bump on me."_

_An image of a blonde with blue, cold eyes ran through his mind, blurrily showing him other images of another woman beside him, standing there while watching a scene. In a street, it was…_

"Kuh…!"

"Onii-sama?!"

Almost slumping to the floor, Tatsuya hastily recovered when the alarmed tone of his sister woke him up from this trance of his. He heard other surprised yelps, but the voice of his beloved sibling was the most important and dear one in this moment.

Miyuki's first priority was obviously aiding her precious brother. Already being beside him, she merely approached him further while placing her delicate hands on his back and shoulder, supporting his body. It didn't do that much difference due to their disparity in strength, but to the two of them only the thought mattered.

The memory he had experienced before, just as quickly as he had obtained it he forgot it. All of it disappeared from his mind, even the event of such a thing happening in the first place.

The blur in his head and vision passed away at once. Recovering at astonishing speed, Tatsuya held a hand to his forehead, slightly massaging it before returning to his normal posture.

"Are you fine, Onii-sama? It's unusual for you to be this tired…" Excessive concern latched in her words, Miyuki directed this question at him.

"I'm perfectly all right, Miyuki." Fondly smiling at her, he waved off her worries. Even he didn't know what had caused him to feel so nauseated, but it had likely been only a small after-effect from some heavy calibration he had done on his CAD yesterday.

"Dude, Tatsuya! I don't think you are okay, you almost fainted!" Leo didn't appear to buy it, even if the Shiba meant every word he had said.

"I agree with Saijou-kun…even if it's not that serious, Shiba-kun should probably head to the infirmary and rest." Timidly, yet clearly reprimanding Tatsuya's confidence in his health, Mizuki adopted a strong expression that you usually wouldn't find on her.

Tatsuya felt a small smile tug at his lips. While their honest care for his well-being was welcome and easily appreciated, it could escalate in being nagging if this were to be kept any further.

Turning to his orange-haired friend, he instead opted to change discussion.

"As I told you guys, I'm completely fine." Waving a hand in their way, he once again paid his attention to Erika "By the way, Erika. With all of that said to us, what is the whole point of your warning?"

He didn't know her that well, neither he was pretentious enough to believe that he could anticipate her intentions, but no one in this table actually clung on the belief that the Chiba had meant with her analysis 'keep away from Naruto'. She was blunt, but not that arrogant to think she could order them around. These were Tatsuya's thoughts about her personality.

"Eh?" A small noise exiting from her lips, she was staring at nowhere before dedicating herself to the Course 2 student's question "Ah, sorry, Tatsuya-kun. Well, yes, I'm not rude like this guy here-"

"Hey!" Leo debated, but was collectively ignored

"-but when I commented on his posture, I think I probably meant it as a praise to his abilities. In martial arts, there are many techniques that control the breathing in order to maximize the amount of stamina one can use. Some are even born with this innate talent. As an expert swordswoman, I can confidently define him as a natural, thus I probably put too much amazement in my tone before." She grinned while putting a hand behind her head "My bad."

"But what I was surprised at wasn't the fact that he could, but its intensity. I can manage something of the same type, but at that caliber it would be hard and strenuous. Training for years is required, so I'm sure he is born with that talent. The only one that has such mastery is a master swordsman that acted as my teacher for a single year, but since he was an old man he could have been trained or innate."

Finishing this lengthy explanation, Erika drew air in her lungs and expired, slightly breathless after saying all of that without any interruption, save Leo's protest at her insult.

Everyone was stunned by her words. Judging by them, the blonde that had just gone away was a person born with the natural aptitude of practicing martial arts. While Tatsuya didn't know of Erika's ability with the blade to the point where she defined herself as an 'expert swordswoman', since she was a Chiba, her claim wasn't even that outrageous. For this and the professionalism in her words, he could bring himself to trust her on this matter.

He had sometime heard of a similar explanation from Yakumo-sensei. Granted, even for Tatsuya's sophisticated mind, the monk's talk about 'nature connection' and 'pollution of technology' was difficult to understand.

Glancing at Miyuki beside him, Tatsuya wasn't the least surprised to find her digesting the information with reluctance. Her face gently scrunched, her eyebrows furrowing down. All in all, it clearly said that she didn't like the fact that the Uzumaki she hated had apparently more 'talent' than her brother. Or perhaps simply that Naruto had this 'quality' in himself.

'Now I'm growing quite worried about this…' No matter at what angle one looked, the despise she had for the blonde was unnatural. He resolved himself to discuss this with her when an opportunity arose. This was hardly a good location…

"What did you say, you wild woman?!"

"You heard me clearly! Also, it was you who first insulted me by saying that I am arrogant!"

…especially due to the sudden quarrel between Leo and Erika, who for some mystic reason were now battling each other while using sharp words as their weapons. While the situation in itself wasn't that startling, what disturbed the male Shiba was how they had turned their fangs on the other without giving time for Tatsuya to even blink.

Indeed, he couldn't decide if their tunes were in synchrony with each other, or they were so similar that they naturally repelled away from the other.

Seeing the shy Mizuki trying to establish a relationship of peace, only to end up with being wholly ignored, these factors all made for a quite entertaining scene. Even the stiff Tatsuya couldn't stifle a laugh, which obviously went unnoticed by the duo.

Momentarily discarding his thoughts about Miyuki's problem, he let himself enjoy the moment, as long as it would last.

**XxX**

Finally, all students were starting to return to their own classrooms. There wasn't an exact time limit, but nobody wanted to get in last for then bearing the shame. Also, this school was structured like a university: you could go to lessons whenever it pleased you, but in the end if you did badly the fault lied entirely on you.

Since this was a school that only accepted the best and most hard-working Magicians, the notion of someone skipping class was quite unbelievable.

Yet, here was someone that clearly enjoyed such an act.

Much to Naruto's displeasure, a consistent part of the student body had learned that he was part of the best class for freshmen, the 1-A. One could read this information of the boards that had been displayed yesterday, though it was hardly expected of someone to look out for every single name of the students. Maybe it was because he was a 'famous' Uzumaki…

Anyway, since the fact that his affiliation, in this institute, was that of the first class for 'Blooms', seeing the blonde nonchalantly walking while being sided by two of the most influential seniors…that was quite a sight.

Despite the unworried state of the Uzumaki, the girls standing beside him had gotten their nerves tested to a horrifying degree. Previously, they had tried to conceal their anger from exposure to the other Magicians, but that action now fully bloomed into an unachievable one.

Clearly eyeing Naruto with suspicious, murderous glares, the scene that was actually the President and Chief leading a witness to the first Magic incident in the term, turned out different when under the perspectives of uninvolved youngsters. To them, the three appeared more similar to two guards transporting a prisoner to his own cell. Their ideas were painfully biased, but the roguish appearance of the blonde plus the angered looks of the women did nothing in changing their mind.

Promptly, the social status of Uzumaki Naruto changed from 'the guy who scored overall second on the entrance tests' to 'a delinquent who was about to be reprimanded for causing trouble on the second day'. Rumors could spread at a frighteningly quick rate, thus there was now no way to block the reputation damage that the Shinobi was about to receive.

Needless to say, this knowledge above was totally lost on the subject of the students' whispers. If he put in a bit of effort, he would be able to spy on them, but he wasn't in the mood for that.

"Hey, have we arrived yet~?"

Instead, he absolutely preferred to further irk the two beautiful senpai near him. The only reason he had followed them was because he could hold off from going to class without receiving any reprimanding, but he was quickly cherishing the hobby of annoying the girls.

Idly, he thought he was being a giant asshole. Then again, he was one to keep grudges, and Mayumi had particularly offended him yesterday. Mari too, but she was so irascible that he kept at it for the sake of entertainment.

"Hey, have we arrived yet~?"

Naruto continued his tireless repetition of questions. He wasn't even hiding the fact that he was attempting to anger them enough to the utmost limit, resulting in the seniors to lash out at him. While he wouldn't receive that much damage, in return their reputations would have a great downfall.

What would the student think of Mayumi and Mari if they were to attack an innocent (?) student simply because they didn't have any patience? Currently, that was the sole reason for which nothing had happened yet. Thinking it in another way, it meant that the school safety hanged on a small thread ready to snap at any moment.

Disappointedly sensing that no one was reacting to his taunts, Naruto just sighed and abandoned his childish game. Perhaps, another motive that had prompted him to get antagonistic towards them was simply to discover if they were like Nagato-nii had described them.

His brother had returned for a month at the joint Uzumaki's household, visiting Grandmother and Karin. He wouldn't bother to greet every single member after all, but to Naruto it seemed more like he had come to brag about his juniors, at that time, in this school.

For some reason, his overly-serious brother had chosen him as the partner for conversation. As for why the other two were excluded…

Grandmother enjoyed staying in her own private rooms, either talking to Naruto or spreading her influence in the Clan. Like in any old-fashioned family, some old guys that amounted to basically nothing had been for some reason directing the Shinobi, but fortunately they currently were mere decorations and the_ True Uzumaki Clan_'s leader was the one taking reins of everything.

Anyway, Grandmother apparently didn't like to talk with anyone beside Naruto. Even her daughter, Uzumaki Kushina, or more specifically his mother, was ignored. Thus, even if Nagato-nii wanted to, he couldn't converse with her.

Karin-nee was a total shut-in. She perfectly fit the term of hikikomori, one who wouldn't and didn't desire in any way to establish bonds with anyone else apart from phones, computer or terminals. Quite clearly, no humans were in any way similar to technological devices, so Karin-nee barely set a foot outside of her room.

It was also a reason for which her Body Techniques were below the standard set by the Clan's system, but even her missions were directed by her without exiting from her bedroom, so no one had any particular issue. She even kept stalking a certain someone in the Uchiha Clan…

Naruto's parents…he wasn't eager to consider them in the equation, but since they were blood-related to him, he had to. Both doted on Nagato-nii and Karin-nee a little too much, and seemed to compensate for this by completely pushing the blonde's presence away.

Of course he was aware of the reason, but Naruto had never considered those two as anything more than blood relatives. Parents were beings that cared for and nurtured you, and under this aspect Yakumo-sensei and Grandmother fit the bill a lot better.

In the end: Grandmother wouldn't talk with Nagato-nii, Karin-nee was always busy with her shady business, for their cruel treatment Nagato-nii was strangely awkward around their parents despite being treated like a prince by both.

So this had only left the youngest Uzumaki. By excluding everyone else, he had felt irked by the fact that Nagato-nii hadn't considered an excuse like 'if you get too close to the demon he could rip you apart into a sloppy mess!'. There was a high chance that someone had advised Nagato-nii to do so, but he had likely shrugged it off.

So, Naruto's older sibling had started on his own task to tell to the blonde about the number of things that had happened in First High. Some were funny, other unbelievable by normal standards, but in the end it had been vaguely entertaining. More than anything else, he had blabbered about his 'cute kouhai' and how it was never boring to tease them.

Naruto had been more shocked by the fact that Nagato-nii had actually broken his cold and stiff shell by cracking a joke. Granted, it was only in the last three years that he and Nagato-nii had gotten closer, but that had been a serious plot twist.

In one of this 'tales', he had proceeded in a lengthy explanation about two of his many juniors. Saegusa Mayumi and Mari Watanabe…basically, they were the girls walking beside him.

A mischievous, gentle girl and a rough, boyish yet kind woman? Yeah, right! That was what he had been told, but so far these two had done nothing but throwing him troubles. Understandingly, he couldn't bring himself to believe Nagato-nii's words.

Suddenly, Naruto looked around him. They were still walking in the same hallway from some minutes ago. While their pace was calm and relaxed, Naruto couldn't refrain from asking the next question.

"Hey, have we arrived yet?"

"Shut up, we are now!"

Truthfully, Naruto meant that as an honest question since they had been walking for quite a while. Now he understood the saying 'what goes around comes around'. His previous constant teasing had lead Mari to finally shout at him. Students weren't around, so she considered it as the perfect location for revenge.

"Now get in!" Barking at him in a way that a 'kind woman' wasn't supposed to, Mari almost raised her foot to shove the blonde's body in.

"Oi oi, is that the way to treat a pure boy who is just the witness of a heinous Magic incident? And what is this attitude? I'm not some criminal about to enter in a cell. Didn't you want to talk?" Naruto retorted. From the information he had, the outsiders of this era were unusually polite in their mannerism, considering swearing as a disgusting act. The Chief certainly didn't follow the rule.

"Just. Enter. Now." In restrained ire, Mari glared at him.

"Sheesh…" For how much he desired to fight her, as he hadn't resolved the issue of being treated guilty of that battle from earlier, the Shinobi didn't crave to start another series of problems. Keeping his mouth shut, he looked at the door in front of him.

Almost at the end of the century, people didn't build normal doors anymore. Most of the times, they were sliding ones made of reinforced metal which automatically detected whether someone was approaching and without any movements from the person, the doors would slide open.

Instead, the one in front of him was a perfectly normal door. It was made of wood, and he had no doubt that alloys of steel were inserted inside in order to improve its durability. Nevertheless, the sole fact that this school possessed doors that you actually needed to push open by your hands relieved him.

He was sort of edgy around modern technology. It wasn't a biological issue, but growing up around traditional environments like old Japanese houses made him more accustomed to them. He also preferred to not use any of this technology if not necessary.

"What are you waiting for? Move."

Mari spat out these words a little too forcefully. One might consider her current behavior as immature, but Naruto wondered whether he had forced his hand when verbally battling her. Perhaps she was justified, but that didn't really matter when on the receiving end of the golden eyes glaring at his back.

Not wanting to attract her fury even more, he pushed open the two doors that acted as the entrance of the Public Morals Committee. It was pretty obvious since a wooden block with the exact words written on it was hanging on the entry.

What he saw…he couldn't understand.

Usually, you would imagine that a room dedicated to fight the crimes inside the school had to be perfectly in order, efficient, with no useless decoration in it. Naruto wasn't the type to care about these trivialities, so he wouldn't be bothered if the Public Morals' HQ were a little untidy.

'A little' being the key word.

"…"

Staring with a deadpanned look on his visage, the Shinobi's expression was set in stone when faced with the absurdity in front of him.

Just what kind of hell were the two girls bringing him in?

The word 'messy' wasn't close enough to describe the hell before him. 'Chaos' was perfect, because even a hormonal teenager with sexual issues had a neater bedroom than this. The state of the space viewed by his eyes was an insult to every guy who struggled in keeping his own room tidy.

Books, documents, boxes full of something metallic inside, and he could _swear _he caught a glimpse of something small moving between the chairs scattered throughout the HQ. Everything was totally out of order, a sight that pained Naruto's eyes despite how his original room back in the Uzumaki's compound was messy. Still, it never came close to anything like the chaos before him.

Vaguely, he could hear the anxiety and awkwardness emanating from Mari's form. She was the Chief of the group which owned, so naturally the responsibility fell on her and only her. Near her, even Mayumi abandoned her annoyed exterior and adopted a stance of silence, sighing as if saying 'the room is always like this'.

Turning around with the most solemn look he could muster, Naruto gazed, or more like glared, defiantly into Mari's golden eyes. Visibly, she shook not for fear bur rather from the embarrassment.

"I absolutely refuse to enter this room."

With a forceful voice, the blonde calmly explained to them. Well, it wasn't an explanation, but the emotion he put in his words was enough to transfer each bit of his refusal to them.

Apparently, Mayumi and Mari somehow understood, as they wordlessly nodded. Thank the Will of Fire they had agreed, otherwise he really didn't know what he would have done. While his room back at the main household was barely better, entering in an area where he didn't know if any mutated rats lived in…that wasn't something he was looking forward to.

"Then what do you propose?" Mind you, the words spoken by Mari were in no way friendly or neutral. It was more like a challenge, possibly a last effort to preserve her pride, made to Naruto.

Was she saying something along the lines of 'if it's not in this room, then where do you want to go?'. 'Definitely antagonistic' Naruto idly wondered. While he didn't mind girls with soft personalities, seeing that the Watanabe had guts in her enough to openly glare at Naruto, who everyone perceived as threatening…it somehow lifted his heart.

Still, the question remained. Where to go? Her demand was reasonable: after all they couldn't sit down in the middle of the hallway and start the discussion there. The blonde had no idea about what they wanted to propose him, but it would surely take some time, so finding a suitable place was the priority.

Naruto's eyes wandered in every corner of the hallway. There were actually few rooms that they could use. This part of the floor seemed to be reserved for the three authorities of the school, so as to allow them better leadership or something like that.

The Shinobi's blue orbs settled on something rather obvious. When they did, he released something that vaguely sounded as a half-sigh half-laugh. Seriously, how didn't he notice this earlier? It really made him feel like a fool.

"Oi, Mari-senpai, can't we use that?"

Calling with neutral tone, Naruto shifted around and caught her attention. He had opted to utilize the honorific because no real reason to prevent him from doing so existed. Even if she was somehow irascible, she was still his senior, so respect was a given.

"Uh?"

Clearly to Mayumi and Naruto, Mari somehow shook her body when her ears welcomed the sounds of someone calling her with the senior honorific. Naruto wondered if she was okay. Her gaze was somehow blank, and he could affirm by experience that such a look never promised anything of good.

Some seconds passed, seconds that were full of tenseness.

"Umm…Mari-chan?" Mayumi whispered, though Naruto could overhear it, to her friend.

"Uh…uhuhuh…" In the end, the worries proved to be unneeded. Making some chuckling sounds that were particularly creepy, she returned to her normal behavior and completely paid her attention to the blonde "Ehem! Yes what is it? And at least she had the decency of recovering her dignity by faking her cluelessness.

Yet, that disturbing way with which she chuckled…yes, Naruto was definitely going to be wary around this girl. A pervert who basked in the feeling of being appreciated by underclassmen, this was the demeaning opinion that took place in Naruto's heart. It was extremely cocky to think like this, but since it was in his private mind, he felt the freedom in acting like this.

Women, he would never understand them. What Rossa had said proved to be undeniably true.

Pushing away everything not related to the current problem, Naruto regained his cool.

"Anyway…" Still casting a careful gaze in Mari's direction, he continued with his proposal "I meant that we could use, like, the room attached to this dumpster?"

"Hey, it's not that bad!"

Ignoring Mari's affronted look, as she just had no rights to protest to anything he said about the HQ, only Mayumi seemed to be the calmer of the two. And that was also when Naruto noticed how the President had been quiet for a while.

"!"

What he saw almost prompted him to adopt a fighting posture.

She…the look she was giving him was chilling. It wasn't cold, offended, angry, but simply and mostly calculating. It was totally different from her earlier appearance, the one that screamed about her charisma but kindness too. No, what he was seeing in front of him indeed qualified as a leader…but kindness was unknown to her.

Damn, this had to be a reminder to his mind! The Shinobi didn't know whether it was from his natural arrogance or if this cockiness sprouted from the fact that outsiders were unexpectedly weak when it came about the first year students, but he had severely underestimated them and relaxed his guard.

Naruto still didn't activate his Emotion Reading ability. There was absolutely no morality in restraining him this time, but he felt that seeing the soul of a complicated person like Saegusa Mayumi would be troubling.

First Miyuki, then Tatsuya and ending with Mayumi...

Opposite to the Shinobi Clans Alliance, the organization which was rooted in the shadow of the magical world, the Ten Master Clans was the group that basked in the light and fame of it. Naruto mentally scolded himself for forgetting this simple fact.

He didn't dare to call himself a pure person. He was probably someone who deserved to be sent in hell and get tortured as a penance for everything he had done to countless others. This wasn't a thought with the intention of self-pity, but his true feelings.

Considering this, he had stupidly belittled the members of the Ten Master Clans for being people who simply wielded Magic to reaffirm their authority.

How foolish. The bastards were probably as much involved in the darkness as him.

In short, to make a summary of the matter: he wasn't in any danger yet, but continuing to underestimate the Modern Magicians would likely lead to a bad ending.

'Ahahah…'

At the same time, the bloodlust somehow filled his being: one more time, the most recent when he had challenged Mari back at the lunch room, the desire of tearing everything to shreds.

It was exhilarating. The thought of these guys being able to harm him and possibly kill him for good, he didn't deny the chance of it happening. Instead, he somehow relished in that scenario. Fighting against the best Magicians of Japan, the country which housed the highest quality ones…yes, that could be fun.

"…eh."

"?"

Naruto's back turned away from them. He had no way to see the two's reactions to this, but he had no intention of going anywhere.

No, his movement was for the objective of concealing the dangerous smile that began to spread on his grinning face. As if paint thrown over a white board, his sharp teeth showed while his eyes started to waver between blood and sky.

The expression he was hiding from the two would surely bring forth an extreme reaction from them. It didn't matter what one thought about Naruto, the feeling a sane person would get from him upon witnessing this smile was only one.

Unadulterated, pure fear.

CRACK!

Without noticing, Naruto's wrist twitched like a convulsing snake and produced a popping, dead sound.

**XxX**

Only Naruto seemed to be the one who didn't notice how sickening that wrist cracking sounded like. It echoed in the long corridor, adding even more terror to it. The hallway was void of any presence, thus only the three of them were present and no one else heard it.

As if being called by someone, Mayumi's calculating gaze broke off and she returned to her usual, more used state of mind. The cold emotion in her red eyes disappeared completely…nay, she probably concealed it better than before.

Her attention was still fixated on the blonde in front of her. He had his back turned away from Mari and Mayumi, so they had no idea about his expression, but the Saegusa felt something lurking on him.

It was disgusting. A sensation she had never felt before, even on the battlefield full of enemies ready to kill her. As if something soft was brushing against her, yet it was ready to end her life at any second.

'He must have killed before…'

This thought permeated in her mind lie glue. There was no other explanation. Yet, she wasn't particularly surprised at this assumption of her.

Anyone that came from the Ten Master Clans had taken a life at least. Even the public didn't fool itself on the illusion that such a powerful faction in the magical world achieved so much power without underhanded tactics and the likes.

The Uzumaki Clan wasn't one of the ten members of the organization, yet they held such prestige and power that many people often referred to them as 'Element' or 'The Number 11', considering the family as occupying the unofficial extra seat of the Ten Master Clans.

They were practitioners of Ancient Magic, but Mayumi had heard from her father that they most likely incorporated some pieces of Modern Magic in their spells. It was a presumptuous theory, as after all Modern Magic was something created by the original style, yet Mayumi couldn't totally deny that probability.

Their processing speed, the time with which they activated a spell, was unnaturally fast for Ancient Magic. It had to derive from either their spells or genes. While it was nothing special for Modern Magic, barely reaching the level of 'acceptable', it was undeniable that they were the quickest among the Magic families which practiced the original style.

Such a powerful house had to contain equally powerful members. Geniuses that could effortlessly trample upon the average Magician had to be lurking in the shadows.

Mayumi immediately thought of Nagato-senpai, one of the men she admired the most. The term 'genius' applied to him more than anyone else.

She was often regarded by the people who admired her as a prodigy born only every ten years, an unreachable star among the others. Even so, while she considered her abilities as top notch, the older brother of the student standing before her, that man was without any doubt a total monster.

Uzumaki Nagato, previous President of the Student Council of First High, the one who had led the institute to victory for the Nine Schools Competition and Thesis Competition. His power had been something that during the two years in which they had known each other, Mayumi could only admire as beautiful and powerful at the same time.

She had never personally witnessed the full blunt of his Magic Power. Even in the time in which he had been forced to fight, she had felt that he hadn't been using even half of his full strength.

During her second year and Nagato-senpai's third year, she had a mock fight with him. Obviously, she hadn't been so arrogant as to think she could have done it alone, so she had even involved Mari and Katsuto.

The three of them together were probably an unbeatable unit bringing together all the important aspects of a fight. Mayumi was the long-range shooter, Mari the close-distance swordswoman and Katsuto the impenetrable shield that defended everyone from everything. Allied against a single Magician, it didn't matter how strong he was, no one could take that peerless combination.

Or so she had thought at that time.

The three of them had lost. There was no but, that mock battle had served as a severe lesson for the trio to understand that they had been weaker than Nagato-senpai and either overestimated themselves or underestimated the older Uzumaki.

Thinking of that time, Mayumi internally grimaced at the way she had been humiliated. She could have preserved a bit of confidence in herself if that battle had at least cornered her idol in a way that he had to use his full Magic Power, and for a while she had had pride for having forced the red-haired senior to such a situation (Mayumi fully ignored the fact that it a 3 versus 1), but Katsuto had been mean enough to tell her how the older Uzumaki hadn't been completely serious.

At most, he had used three quarters of his strength, and that had been enough to utterly defeat them.

For a considerable amount of time, she had stuffed herself with chocolate and had even contemplated to give Nagato-senpai some bitter Valentine's gift as a revenge for the degradation. She had promptly aborted the idea: he had an unusual nose, so if he had discovered her, punishment would have surely ensued.

Wait, she had completely diverted from her original thought!

Not showcasing any of these panicked emotions, Mayumi discreetly coughed in her small hand and returned to a calm state of mind. Naruto-kun, the little brother of Nagato-senpai, was still standing in front of her and Mari, his back turned.

The first opinion she had of him was that he seemed unremarkably normal. While he had some sort of exotic appearance with his rare features and muscular body visible even under the uniform, Mayumi didn't have that sort of overwhelming sensation that she had always felt from Nagato-senpai. They didn't even resemble each other that much, so she could hardly understand how the two were siblings.

Now, instead, she immediately regretted her hasty judgment. Her opinion had wavered, but when she had seen how he had effortlessly defeated one of the best freshmen of this year, she admitted in her mind that he was indeed an Uzumaki. Adding how he had fearlessly confronted Mari, this intimidating aura that he was displaying now…

Her father had warned her to pay attention to him.

When she had asked why, she had initially concluded that it was because it was no secret that the Uzumaki Clan had terrible relationships with basically every member of the Ten Master Clans. Due to the Kudou's Ninth Institute, when there had once been a possibility for them collaborating with the Modern Magic families, they were now bitter rivals.

Yet, that sly fox of her father had simply mentioned how 'the heirs of that old woman' were absolute abnormalities that needed to be kept under supervision.

Mayumi respected her father, but she couldn't refrain from frowning whenever she recalled how his voice had been half-disgusted half-respecting. She admitted that she hadn't been in best of mood afterwards. Insulting Nagato-senpai was something she couldn't digest, but the Elven Sniper had the good sense to trust her parent's advice.

And now she understood why.

The one standing in the hallway together with her, the Magician who had sunny hair that immediately captivated everyone in his proximities, was in Mayumi's sight something else, something different.

He was a dark sun about to engulf in the darkness every living being.

She had to apologize to Nagato-senpai. He trusted her and had given her the task of looking after his little brother, but Mayumi's instincts told her that approaching the blonde without any precaution was a suicidal move.

Her next question, the one that wasn't masked from her external façade, was what contained her true feelings about the matter.

'Just what are you, Uzumaki Naruto?'

**XxX**

"Welcome, Naruto-kun. This is the Student Council Room."

With a tone and posture perfectly in harmony with her usual appearance of an ojou-sama, Saegusa Mayumi took in her all the pleasantries that someone of her status had to show and performed what in Naruto's mind was a useless waste of time.

Well, this was his opinion anyway. He wasn't in a battlefield, so he probably wasn't used for someone of her power to greet him in a friendly manner.

That smile she was displaying wasn't totally false, but it wasn't honest either and to him her expression was slightly forced, as if she had repeated the same action in a multitude of occasions. It was far too sweet to be real, and she couldn't be holding any intimate relationship with him after barely knowing each other. This was no shoujo manga, after all.

Geez…seriously, his first opinion of her had initially been good, since she had been kind even towards a 'Weed' like Tatsuya, but her favorable points in his book were steadily decreasing.

Naruto wasn't that keen in being fooled by others. Having a skill to read the surface of someone's emotions, that was unsurprising, but his level in that ability was so low for an Uzumaki's standards that it didn't matter anyway.

It wasn't a trauma or anything like that. He just didn't like when people lied to him or tried to keep their dislike to a minimum. He understood that this was his selfish preference, but he wasn't gentle enough to accept that. If they didn't want to associate with him, they could just say so and be done with it.

In a way, Morisaki's asshole attitude was somehow better than being constantly deceived by a dwarf girl (Note: don't ever mention it to Mayumi-senpai).

Returning to reality…

The room he was standing in was infinitely better that that slum called 'HQ of the Public Morals Committee'. For sake, they babbled about morals, but couldn't the Chief keep a little space cleaner than an urban city's landfill?

"Wow..." Whistling appreciatively, the blonde walked with light steps on the ground of the room. There was no creak whenever he stepped "It has a nice smell, the temperature is just fine and most of all, it doesn't stink."

"Tch!"

From behind him, Naruto detected Mari clicking her tongue either in envy or anger. It seemed she was really bothered by how the room of the Public Morals was so dirty. At least she had the good sense of accepting that.

The Shinobi repressed the urge to smirk at her and then start to list why she was inferior to Mayumi, but he promptly choked these dark thoughts. Bad stuff, and continuing to antagonize the two seniors wasn't a smart move.

'_You don't say, Master. I see that the common sense of not angering a woman has awakened in you.'_

Just like always, the strangely polite yet lately sarcastic voice of Rossa broke in him. It came from inside, so it wasn't totally correct, but he wasn't about to stop on such trivialities.

'Oh, it has been a long time, Rossa. I almost totally forgot about you since you stopped talking to me.' Closing his eyes in concentration and cutting himself off from the world, he focused on talking with her.

'_What are you saying, Master? It has barely been an hour.'_

Ah, she returned to her clueless and no-joke attitude. It wasn't a surprise, but remembering her having cracked a joke back in the classroom, he couldn't help but feeling down now that she wasn't funny anymore.

He didn't break to fourth wall of anything ridiculous like that. He wasn't in a fictional story after all, but as many events had passed and came by, he felt as if it had been days ago that he had spoken to Rossa.

'By the way, Rossa,' Shamelessly changing topic, Naruto's next words held an appreciative tone, as if his life had been saved 'I must thank you for having calmed me down when I was contemplating on seriously attacking Mari-senpai and Mayumi-senpai.'

'_Honestly, Master…I could mention how you don't have any obligations in thanking me, but you are too stubborn to do that. On the other hand, please buy a leash to hold your impulses.'_

'Ouch...! Was that really necessary?! Did you just quote Miyuki's crude retort?!' Feeling offended by how his closest companion had betrayed him by repeating the cruelness that the Snow Queen had showed him, Naruto mentally screamed.

Back in the hallway, before he had entered the Student Council Room, the Shinobi had been temporarily overcome by bloodlust. This time though, he had no excuse to bring forth. That had been his fault and Dark Naruto wasn't involved, and if it had been, then the Shinobi would have experienced far darker thoughts about what to do with the two girls.

Just his love to fight that was all. He wasn't a total battle nut like some members of the Shinobi Clans Alliance, and he surely didn't have sickening hobbies like torturing his enemies or raping them, these were Morino Ibiki and Mitarashi Anko's ways to kill time. He didn't possess any proof on the last one, but given her perverted and psychotic nature, he wouldn't out it past her. As long as you didn't endanger the mission, a Shinobi was allowed to pretty much do whatever it wanted.

Despite how he said this, Naruto was probably a crazy guy on the same level of them. It wasn't uncommon to discover that a Shinobi had mental issues or several disorders, but most were able to live with it. The harsh training a child had to undergo to master Body Techniques was by no means easy.

"Naruto-kun, would you mind some tea?"

Suddenly pulled out from his recollections, the blonde made a noticeable startled nod with his head. He wasn't agreeing with her offer, he was simply in a position where it looked as if his musings were an acceptation.

Ignoring Mayumi's sickeningly forced smile, Naruto eyed the tea she was preparing. It was already boiled and prepared in traditional Japanese tea-set, so her invitation wasn't that meaningful if she was already done. For the sake of formality, he guessed.

He would have usually accepted. He wasn't that rebellious to the point of refusing a courteous offer, and it wasn't as if tea tasted like gasoline, but this time he was more interested in understanding the reason for which they had brought him here.

"Thank you, but I'll have to pass." Shrugging, he then pointed his sharp eye to the two of them. Mari and Mayumi visibly flinched, not for fear but because they understood that Naruto would refuse any attempt at lightening the mood. "Instead, please tell me why you insisted in making me skip lessons and talking to me."

"The_ true _reason, of course."

The last phrase visibly jolted the two girls. They weren't that surprised, but it was mildly shocking.

Mari immediately straightened up. Before, she had been acting somewhat comically, but that side of her disappeared as she adopted the posture of a true senior and harmlessly glared at the Shinobi. One arm akimbo, she questioned him.

"Oh? And why would you believe that?" Still acting as if clueless, she was challenging Naruto with a haughty tone. This was her usually sarcastic personality, so neither the Saegusa or the Uzumaki found it strange, the latter having known from their conflict in the lunch room that this was likely her original behavior "Just like I said before, you aren't fully innocent for you aggressive attitude towards your classmates. What makes you consider that I haven't brought you here to punish you?

Naruto's sight wandered in the room, inspecting the equipment, as if he was checking the ideal escape route in the case of conflict. After some seconds, he finally settled on answering Mari's retort.

"Because if I put some brain cells in it, it isn't such a mystery, is it?"

The two gave him a questioning look. He continued.

"The three main powers among the student body are the Student Council, the Public Morals Committee and the Club Management Group. Each is led by Saegusa Mayumi, Watanabe Mari and Juumonji Katsuto. These powers are some sort of government, if I stretch it: the Student Council is the one who create laws and can even approve them. The Public Morals are the force apprehending students who cause trouble, so they are the police. Last is the Club Management Group, which judges the wrongdoers and administrate the punishment it sees appropriate."

"Of course, I read it all from the entrance book about the school."

Finishing his explanation, his blue eyes stared seriously at them, as if expecting some kind of answer or acceptance of his words. His example had been vastly forced, he didn't have a deep knowledge about things others would find common. Still, the blonde waited for a reply.

None came from them, apart from confused and unladylike grunts that were carefully concealed by Mayumi and Mari. Needless to say, the Shinobi's extraordinary sense of hearing captured them anyway, but it was better to not mention that.

"I see." Closing off her eyes, her tense eyebrows still related to her harsh attitude "And what has that to do with what I have said. What reason do I have to not punish you here and now?"

Unfazed by Mari's somewhat annoying remarks, Naruto returned to inspecting the room, his nose sniffing a heavenly smell coming from a corner of the room. Even if he was in this state, he still managed to answer her: "That's because I never heard that the police could decide what to do with a criminal. Well, my knowledge about it is pretty outdated. Though I don't know that much myself, but if I had to be given a judgment, then the big scary guy I have seen on the entrance book has to be the one to do it."

Finishing his reasoning, Mayumi slightly smiled at the excellent deduction. It wasn't that complicated to understand, but a student would be usually more preoccupied with escaping any charges instead of calmly thinking of a way to reasonably prove himself innocent.

Mari too, she couldn't deny that it was worth of praise that he hadn't fallen for a trap she had employed many times. Sometimes she would play this game with suspicious students, and then they would sometime admit their crimes without noticing. The fact that the blonde had been calm and didn't panic made her snort in appreciation.

"Mmph, you are correct. If we had brought you to Katsuto, by now you would be doing whatever hellish punishment he has in store for anyone who break the rules."

"Oh, scary."

Mari glared at his sarcasm, but he deflected it.

Truth be told, that was a mixture of sarcasm and a bit of fear. Naruto had been told by Nagato-nii about how Juumonji Katsuto's presence was overbearing, much like Killer Bee's brother, so he definitely didn't want to meet that guy any soon. The photo on the entrance book even portrayed him in full body, bulging muscles that appeared to be ready to rip apart his uniform. Was that some sick psychological trick to intimidate freshmen?

"So, Naruto-kun, would you mind telling us your assumptions about why we have led you here?" Mayumi asked in an amused tone, finding the interactions between Mari and Naruto to be funny.

Hearing that, Naruto adopted a contemplating pose. First thing that passed in his mind was to scream out 'you want to fight me, bitches?!' Yeah, even he didn't understand how his mind worked, but he was aware that yelling such outrageous comments would lead to a dead end.

The second option was that the two wanted to fight him. Okay, that was more like his unreachable hopes materializing in delusions, but he wished to confront his power with theirs. Granted, a confined space was irritating to battle in, but a handicap wouldn't be that unnerving. 'Just blast a hole in the wall' He thought.

The two above were just ridiculous. There's no choice, he had to go for the tactic he always employed for dating simulators and visual novels.

The third option always worked, somehow.

"Umm…" Naruto scratched his scalp, hoping to not sound like an idiot. It always happened, so his expectation were abysmal at best "What do I say…you two were amazed by the way I handed Morisaki his ass, then you understood how I was going to humiliate the other five, so you want to…recruit me or something?"

"…"

No sound came from the two seniors' mouths. A strange sound leaked from them, but it was promptly shut by a mysterious force which seemed to desire to embarrass Naruto even further than how he had felt before.

'Uwaa…Mari-senpai, Mayumi-senpai…please, at least call me an idiot or something, this silence is painful!'

It was truly astounding. As if he had told a lame joke, they were looking at him with glints that he couldn't read. They could be good or bad, but they were just a torture for his pure teenage mind.

Then, the standoff broke like water by a rock.

"Mmm, I guess you are really his brother. It doesn't seem as if he has told you, so I am honestly amazed." As if acknowledging the random choice of words he had created before, it appeared that Naruto's answer had been right.

"Isn't he amazing, Mari? I suppose it's something that flows in their blood!" Even Mayumi didn't hold her praises at his 'deduction', smiling at him. This time, he felt that the sentiment was genuine.

Meanwhile, as the two older girls discussed among them, Naruto felt embarrassed by how they were relentlessly congratulating him. Granted, all he had done was replying with a theory that he had crafted from three years of playing with video games, but he wasn't about to pop their balloon. Moreover, please praise him more!

On the other hand, apart from happiness at being complimented, the Shinobi also felt a pang of annoyance when the two had mentioned 'brother' and 'blood'. They were obviously referring to how he was similar to Nagato-nii.

What the hell was up with that? His accomplishments were his alone, not because of stupidities like that! If he heard them stating an idiocy similar to that again, he wasn't sure if he could hold back from scolding them for it.

"Didn't Nagato-senpai do something similar?"

"Yes, but I think that it's their movements that are more alike…"

Putting aside these conflicting emotions...damn them for utterly excluding him. Right now, he seemed to be the more mature individual in the room.

"Oiii…are you two aware that I'm here?" Naruto put a hand near his mouth and whispered loud enough to tell them this crucial fact. Neglecting people wasn't good, senior's brother or not, right?

""Ah!""

Mari and Mayumi simultaneously dropped at the blonde's voice calling them. Mari suspiciously coughed while turning around and Mayumi regained her damn fake smile that prompted Naruto to huff out in displeasure.

"Obviously not, Naruto-kun. We wouldn't forget our guest, it would be unbecoming."

'You damn faker!' Was Naruto's indignant scream in his soul. Damn the Saegusa Clan!

Seriously, these two did nothing but piss him off. He wondered if their actions were absolutely intentional of whether the compatibility between them was so low that Fate directed their destinies so that they would clash against each other.

Noticing that his blood was rushing a little too quickly from the back and forth exchange of words he had with the seniors, the Shinobi's chest heaved, visibly swelling, for then throwing out all the air in excess. Immediately, his tiredness and adrenaline disappeared from his system.

He wasn't even going to mention what Body Technique was that. No, perhaps it wouldn't even be correct to give it such a name. This was only a low level skill that kids could do in a month and the conditions to master it were so trivial that everyone in the Shinobi Clans Alliance knew it. Hell, even common martial artists who were too separated from nature could accomplish such a simple technique.

Mayumi and Mari's gazes settled on his figure once again. Damn it.

"…really similar, isn't he?"

"Yep."

Once again, Naruto felt the annoying looks Mayumi and Mari were pointing him.

Nagato-nii had most likely used the same skill in their presence. He would usually feel flattered that such beautiful women reserved this much attention for him, but since they reason was 'he is Nagato-senpai's brother', he only clicked his tongue in irritation.

For the Will of Fire, now he wondered if he had to reload a save and go back to the branching plot point where he had to decide between 'going with them' or 'going to class'. Raising flags with Shizuku and Honoka would have been better than listening to the two's ramblings.

"As amusing as it is, I don't like wasting my time while doing nothing." With a huff and lightly glaring at them, he succeeded in catching their attention, paying care to not letting it slip from his hands again "Mayumi-senpai and Mari-senpai, just tell me the reason for which I was invited in this fancy room. _Please_."

Understanding that they had perhaps taken their nostalgia at how Naruto unexpectedly resembled the ex-President too far, they glanced at each other and gave a collective nod. They were still standing without taking one of the many seats in the room, but since the Uzumaki was no good with formalities, they would have to discuss this quickly.

Mari chose to stay rooted on her spot, allowing Mayumi to finally reveal what they wanted from the blonde. Mayumi's posture was now wholly professional, her next words without any excitement or mirth. Putting a hand on her chest and her expression solemn…

"Uzumaki Naruto-kun, please join us as a member of the Student Council."

"Sorry, I'm going to refuse. Is that all?"

Just like that, the room's tense air dissipated like mist in front of a mighty wind.

Completely uncaring of how she could have felt at such an outright refusal of her invitation, Naruto made a 'no no' gesture with his open hand, as if swatting away a particularly annoying fly. This was probably his opinion of Mayumi, though.

As if not being able to cope with reality, the Saegusa didn't move of a centimeter from her spot.

Mari sighed, disturbingly expecting that the blonde would act like that. From the brother of the stubborn blonde, the two had predicted that he would most likely refuse, but they didn't expect him to be so blunt and uncaring. Mayumi believed that her confidence may have taken some unforeseen damage.

Trying to appear undeterred from his refusal, Mayumi continued.

"May I ask you why? I think you are aware that having a place in the Student Council grants you privileges higher than that of a teacher. While it would be unadvisable to accept someone blinded by fame in the group, I would like for you to consider this and report it to me tomorrow."

Naruto let out a small laugh. It wasn't to deride Mayumi, but rather when he heard about how the Student Council's authority exceeded that of anyone aside the Director, whose name he didn't even bother to remember.

"Well, since you probably talked about this with Nagato-nii, he should have told you that I old zero interest about that sort of stuff, so you should try something else." A smile on his face, he strangely encouraged Mayumi to persist, but he had probably done it to get more fun from the matter.

Mayumi slightly grimaced when he mentioned that. He appeared to have an answer ready for everything, something that amazed yet greatly annoyed her.

Nagato-senpai had told her tales about the blonde, such as the fact that he didn't hold any ambition or will to climb up upon the ranks. While she found it concerning that a young man had no desires of his own, that also meant she couldn't pull him over her with dark promises of power…she wouldn't do that, of course.

"Still, while it isn't required for you to join a club, obtaining excellent results in your extracurricular activities can grant you credits which will help you in your studies, more so if it's the Student Council." Mayumi tried. Magic High School had a curriculum that demanded for the students to do their best in their studies, and choosing a club wasn't something you could avoid "I doubt there are that many clubs which could suit your abilities, so why don't you come over here?"

That wasn't true. There were probably tons of clubs that were going to wish for the Uzumaki to join their ranks after the rumors about his Magic Power and how he had beaten Morisaki spread. Recruitment Week was undoubtedly going to be a mess in this term. Needless to say, mentioning this to Naruto would be counterproductive.

And then again, he wasn't that dense to not grasp such a simple thing. Detecting her hastily made lie, he wondered if she had low convincing skills or if he was the one unable to have his mind changed.

"That's not true, you know?" Sounding mildly offended by her statement, Naruto crossed his arms and huffed out "I'm interested in a few clubs. The one which suits my abilities the most is probably the Magic Martial Arts Club."

Magic Martial Arts: the term itself was self-explanatory. Utilizing Magic and combining it with martial arts, one could chain several attacks to create devastating blows. A punch surpassing the speed of sound, a kick coming from an unnatural direction, perhaps one of the most useful particularities was being capable of 'marking' an enemy merely by touch, without having to calculate the coordinates when casting a spell.

Naruto was a master at it. His physical abilities alone were enough to be considered as the techniques of a monster, to the point where people misunderstood them for him casting Personal Speed-Type Magic. Coupled with Body Techniques and if he were to actually use spells on his body, even the blonde couldn't reject the term of 'untouchable beast' branding him.

'Needless to say, I'm not going to tell them all of that. I caused enough trouble back at the canteen.'

Thinking rationally and not letting his selfish wishes overtake him, the Uzumaki didn't budge under the analyzing stare of Mari. Her interest had been piqued when Naruto had mentioned his skills.

"Magic Martial Arts Club…ah, the one Sawaki was part of before coming in the Public Morals." Her tone remained uninterested the whole time, in clear contrast with the eyes that didn't betray the fact that she was more intrigued by how Naruto was a practitioner of the style "I suppose you aren't a slouch at it, since you closed a distance of twelve meters like that."

'Like that' obviously meant the incident back with Morisaki and his fairly vast group, thought Naruto. Again, he wasn't going to correct that error of her. If she made assumptions on certain events, he would gladly exploit them. Troubling his Grandmother was the last thing he wanted, and revealing his abilities was one.

Moreover, saying 'he wasn't a slouch' summoned complicated feelings in him. Merely defining him as a fairly good practitioner was a colossal understatement, one that would probably advantage him. On the other hand, he kind of wanted to show off, but the blonde quickly sealed these intentions.

It was a lie that he wanted to join the Magic Martial Arts Club. It wasn't completely false, but for now he had no intention to join a club.

Even so, becoming a member of the Student Council would bring both advantages and disadvantages: while he could keep an eye on the Ten Master Clans' heirs, he would likely be under scrutiny too. Naruto wasn't confident in his ability to keeping his skills secret, thus the next words he spoke.

"Yeah, as you see, I'm already leaning on that option. I'm not even sure if I will join it, but I am sure of at least one thing. That is, the Student Council doesn't suit my style. I would probably cause more trouble than it's worth, so can we drop the matter?"

As if struck by a brick, Mayumi flinched with a hurt expression on her delicate features. Immediately after, Naruto felt a pang of guilt stabbing him.

He was well aware that his rejection was rude and hastily said. It didn't matter how good his intentions were, that didn't erase the fact that he had just swatted away that topic without any shame.

That didn't escape from the two seniors' senses. Visibly, Mari glared in an affronted manner at the dismissal, but she stopped when she heard a whimpering sound from Mayumi near her.

"Ah…" His senior let out this sound from her voice, before a sad smile grew on her face "…I see. Then there is nothing I can do about it. I won't insist if it's your wish."

Witnessing the gradually deflating mood of Mayumi, who was infecting the entire room's atmosphere with her sheer presence, the Uzumaki was easily unnerved. Despite how she seemed cheerful, he wasn't fooled. She was faking it pretty badly, Mari noticing it too.

But why was she so discouraged? Since she was the President of the Student Council, she had to know about his entrance tests, especially in the theory. His technical skills were first on the list, but his paper tests were horribly average, not mentioning the 'help' he had from Rossa.

The Student Council was the main organization composed by the students of the institute. It had to include only the best, and it was a tradition for it to invite the freshmen representative, who possessed balanced results in the entrance exam. An awfully unbalanced character like him wouldn't fit.

'Yet, I don't have the time to find a decent enough reason...'

No matter how much he reflected about it, it made no sense. She was certainly not in love with him, and any other ridiculous assumptions were shot out of his mind. Mayumi looked even sadder than before, and Mari was sending him an ominous glare that spelled death in capitals.

In a closed room, adorned with expensive furniture that would likely get in the way, surrounded by two extremely competent Magicians: if it was a few minutes ago, he would have been overjoyed at spotting a chance for a fight, but given the awkward mood fogging in here, nobody could fault Naruto for the cold sweat running down his neck.

Truly, he had a knack for getting stuck in these sorts of situations.

**XxX**

In the end, Naruto's terrible social skills had led to what could be called the loss of all his flags. Well, not precisely, as he was sure that his relationship with Mari and Mayumi wasn't exactly categorized as 'buddies', but after his refusal, it had certainly plummeted down to an unknown depth.

Mayumi had continued to pout secretly. That had dispelled neither the sour mood in the room or the accusing eyes of Mari, who was obviously offended by how the blonde had concluded the matter about his recruitment abruptly.

In his defense, despite how he had been rude, Mayumi was a little too emotional. Only regarding the topic of before though, she was usually far more coy and reserved (Naruto wasn't aware of this). That only added to the puzzling questions that the Shinobi held in his heart. Why the hell was she so keen in him joining?

Anyway, at least half an hour had passed since that moment. When that had happened the bell had rung, signaling the end of a long hour which had tortured the teenager mind of the Uzumaki. He had made a motion of exiting from the room, but as if Mari's eyes had held a mystic power, his ass had glued to a chair nearby and when some minutes had passed, it had been too late to excuse himself.

The message from the Watanabe had probably been 'You caused this mess, now you have the gall to run away?!' In retrospect, she had justice on her side, so he couldn't retort and make an escape.

And then a quarter of an hour had finished. Mayumi had halted her volatile attitude and had sit on the comfortable chair reserved for the President, behind a gorgeous, large wooden desk. Her posture had been flawless while she had started to mutter 'Might as well do some work…'

Typing on the terminal attached to the working desk, a not short amount of time had leisurely flowed, accompanied by the clicking sounds of the keyboard. Naruto couldn't even be spared a second to wonder 'She uses her own hands to type?' when Mayumi had started to huff all over the place, sprawled on her chair in an unladylike manner. She had then lamented 'How much work…if I only had _someone_ helping me'

Numerous guilty stabs had gone through his heart. He hadn't been sure whether or not the mental damage would recover, but he was sure that this kind of scar would remain for a while.

After a minute, Mari had joined in by saying 'Truly,_ someone _loitering around could lend a hand'.

Not to mention the fact that the Chief had done absolutely nothing in consoling Mayumi or aiding the Saegusa's workload, the blonde had briefly considered her proposition. He could have lent a hand…that is, a hand enclosed in a fist, punching directly her guts. He had refrained from the act because cleaning up wasn't his forte.

These sorts of indirect jabs toward him had continued for more than an hour. The time between Naruto's incident with Morisaki and his refusal about joining the Student Council had been roughly forty-five minutes. Then an equal amount of time had passed, only for an hour of accusing words constantly diminishing his ego to continue.

Leaving aside all the calculations, it meant only half an hour remained before the sweet bell could ring. At that moment, Naruto would speed out of this hellhole and straight to a market to buy ten boxes of ramen. He felt that only those noodles could soothe his soul.

This was the right way of looking at things! Keep an optimistic view, Naruto!

…on the other hand, if he considered this from a negative view, it meant that 1800 seconds still remained before he could run away.

**XxX**

"Naruto-kun, would you like some more tea?"

"N-no…no need to bother yourself."

"Ohoh? You don't have to be shy. By the way, your tea is perfect as always, Mayumi."

There existed numerous reports which concluded that the human brain 'stopped', or more precisely slowed the flow of time as it was perceived by an individual. This could happened either when someone was about to suffer his own demise, or during extremely dire moments.

Like now.

Each of them sitting on their own chairs, Mayumi was respectfully serving tea to the guests in the Student Council Room. Even if what could be considered as 'guest hour' had already finished a long time ago, she didn't seem the least bothered. Naruto had even wondered whether or not she would suddenly ask 'want to eat bubuzuke?' (A way of saying that one has overstayed).

Mari was calmly sipping her tea with her legs crossed over each other. The stockings outlined her curves really well and they weren't slim or fat, instead covering the concealed muscles in her thighs. Quite an arousing sight, one the Shinobi would have admired if it weren't for the subtle gazes that were sent over him from time to time. Was she trying to catch him in the act of peeping and make sure he didn't leave?!

Naruto, never having participated in a good manners lesson, had trouble in maintaining the same air of respectability that hung around the two girls. They were members of the Number Family System, so they had likely received teaching in all sort of things, reasoned the blonde.

But was all of this enough to prompt him to think something as scarily amazing as 'time is slowing down because this situation is dangerous'? Sure, he felt nervous when Mari occasionally glanced at him, but that wasn't what bothered him.

"How is your tea, Naruto-kun? Is it enjoyable?"

Yeah, Saegusa Mayumi was the one creeping him out.

A smile adorning her pretty visage, nobody would suspect her of any treachery. It would be a stupid thought: how could this angel in human form put _some sort bitter herbs in her guest's tea?_

In case one didn't understand, she did the exact same thing above.

Of course, Naruto was always on his guard. It could be called an unwilling reflex of his body. After all the training he had undergone as a child, his own mind automatically perceived even the movements of human beings as a 'potential threat'.

Taking this into consideration, he had quickly taken notice of the strange aroma from his teacup. Despite so, it was deeply infused, such that he had almost slipped his guard and drunk from it.

Needless to say, the reason for that 'prank' of her was clear even to Naruto, who was usually considered as a dense person who couldn't grasp the mood in certain circumstances.

'She must be channeling all her indignation from my refusal into calm anger…' Naruto reasoned. He would let her vent it out, given how it was his fault that all of this happened in the first place. Hopefully, something drastic would happen on the school grounds and she would forget everything.

"Y-yeah, it's absolutely perfect."

An utter lie, but the blonde knew very well that admitting the truth and shouting out 'What the hell did you put in my tea?!' could only worsen his current predicament. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, or something like that. He couldn't help but agree with that statement: ever since he came here in this school, it seemed that the women were trampling on the men's balls with their Magic Power. Miyuki, Shizuku, Honoka, Mayumi, Mari…

"I see! I'm really glad, for a moment I thought that it wouldn't be of your taste." Sighing in relief, Mayumi voiced out her feelings while letting an undetectable smirk grow on her face.

Naruto could only glance at furniture in the room, suddenly interested in the doorknob of the entrance.

Mari smirked too, but hers was good-natured. As if bathing in a happy memory, she closed her eyelids and started to speak: "It certainly suits my tastes. If had been told a year ago that you would be capable of preparing an excellent tea like this, I would have looked at them strangely."

Her next chuckle greatly unsettled Mayumi, who twirled around and pouted at her friend: "Mou, Mari! Did you say this on purpose, right when Naruto-kun is in this room?!"

"Not at all, it just slipped." Despite shielding herself like that, her amused grin said it all.

"Oh?" Turning his attention back to the conversation, Naruto joined Mari in her teasing act and began to chuckle in the same derisive manner "How was Mayumi-senpai different last year?"

"Don't tell him, Mari!" Mayumi desperately attempted to halt her by standing up and slamming her hands on the desk. She was thoroughly ignored by the other occupants in the room.

Leaning with her elbows in the table, Mari began: "Nothing special at all. She was actually a bit of a problem child, even if she didn't show it to anyone else. Her tea was unbearable, one of her weakness. Thankfully, Nagato-senpai fixed that."

Telling this small story while dodging the Saegusa's attempts at shutting her mouth with her petite hands, Mari wore a grin that clearly stated her superiority in her relationship with Mayumi at the current moment. Despite himself, the blonde felt a wave of pity for the elf-like girl.

"Nagato-nii? He can make good tea?" Appearing mildly surprised, he jolted a bit on his seat. Carefully, while Mayumi's sight was away from his figure, the Shinobi emptied the content of his teacup on a plant nearby. He ignored how some steam started to rise as if the ominous smoke of hell. At times, ignoring reality was better than needless insisting.

"What?" Holding Mayumi's two fists that were previously directed at her, Mari nonchalantly questioned him "Forgive me if I appear intrusive, but shouldn't you know this sort of thing about him? He is your brother after all."

Naruto slightly hesitated in his movements, freezing.

Mayumi flinched for an unknown reason. Abandoning her tantrum, surprising her best friend who had expected she would have continued for some more minutes, the Elven Sniper slowly glanced towards Naruto.

His eyes and features told her everything she needed to know. Wandering his gaze to anywhere but their eyes, he attempted to not meet their faces, clearly desiring to not speak of this any further. Even so, he felt that to avoid any future trouble or nagging questions, he had to clarify the matter right now.

"He is…how to say this…we don't associate with each other that much, so I wouldn't know. Our positions are fundamentally different, so we don't act like siblings should. You two probably know him better than I do, so if you say that he is good at making tea, I don't have the knowledge to refute."

For Naruto, just as how his parents were simply the ones who gave birth to him, the term brother just meant that Nagato was someone with whom he shared blood ties. Even if his relationship with him was far better than the one he had with his parents, it was still at a level where he wasn't exactly comfortable in socializing with him. He was sure that it would repair itself given some time, but to the blonde, Nagato had begun to act as a 'genuine older brother' only three years ago.

It was too little of a time period to know him extensively. Adding to the fact that both of them had been usually occupied with missions overseas and had been sent to the other part of the globe away from each other, this just shortened the few interactions that tied them.

Sharing this awkward and intimate truth with two girls he barely knew surprised even him. He didn't do it for any deep reason, the blonde just reasoned that it would be a pain if they were to ask this sort of question again and bring painful memories to surface again.

Aligned perfectly with his expectations, the room fell in silence once more this day.

Mari grumbled under her breath, chastising herself for not remembering how the previous President had once told them about his family situations. Mayumi harmlessly glared at her friend: she wasn't exactly angry, but they both knew that the Watanabe deserved it.

"Forgive me, Naruto." A solemn look getting along with her similarly serious posture, Mari shut her eyes and made a small bow with her head, as if following the code of honor of a samurai "I brought an uncomfortable topic on light. As your senpai, I feel embarrassed."

"Ah!" Startled at how sheepish she seemed, the Shinobi hadn't remotely expected for his noble senior to ask him for forgiveness. He was one to hold grudges, but as Mari had no evil intentions and was genuine in her amends, Naruto just put a small, honest smile on his lips accompanied by a gentle shrug "Don't worry, Mari-senpai. You meant well, please raise your head."

"…if you say so." She was still dubious in forsaking what the blonde considered as a miniscule issue, but with a glance to Naruto's expression, she adopted a smile herself and hummed in agreement "Thank you."

For what reason she said those words, Naruto didn't know, but he nonetheless grinned in response.

He had been hasty in his judgments of their personalities, after all. As he never had any particular relationship with people outside his Clan, that must have been the reason for which he found himself unsettled when around people of his age. He had started with the wrong foot, was the saying.

Well, being discovered while ready to kill your classmates, Naruto couldn't complain if he had been seen as a savage berserker.

"Ara? Mari, aren't you getting a little too affectionate with your junior? Your boyfriend wouldn't be happy about it~" Taking this chance to butt in, Mayumi scooted closer to the Chief and with a hand covering her grin, she wiggled her eyebrows at the swordswoman.

As if a reflex that she had developed for this particular and unique situation, Mari spun on the sole of her shoe and directed an annoyed glare at Mayumi. It would have been scary…if it wasn't for the brightest blush that Naruto had ever seen coloring her cheeks.

"Mayumi! N-Nao has nothing to do with this!"

"Eh~? Isn't that your wishful thinking~?"

As the two ended up in a situation neglecting the only male in the room, the Shinobi wrote the information he had heard in his memory. So the Chief of the Public Morals Committee had a boyfriend? This would turn out to be useful…for entertainment purposes.

Still keeping his ears on the banter between the two women, Naruto's blue eyes travelled along every spot of the room and finally landed on the digital clock hang there. Despite not matching the general atmosphere of the room, it wasn't out of place either.

Fifteen minutes remained before the end of the school's day. As clubs hadn't officially restarted yet, students that weren't part of any of the three organizations within the institute had no reason to not depart from the school grounds.

'Might as well search for some more information: it's the whole reason the old geezers agreed to have me enroll here…for void husks who have at best a few years left, they sure are arrogant.'

Despite enjoying this 'normalcy' that was likely befitting of someone of his age, he had a task that his Grandmother had assigned to him. And he would do his best to fulfill it.

As there was still some time before he left the room, the blonde interrupted the heated conversation which was taking place. One of the reasons was that things were escalating to the point where Mari looked absolutely furious…alas, her blush of embarrassment ruined the effects she intended.

"Ehm…as much as I enjoy this little spectacle of yours, I would like to ask something to Mari-senpai."

"Damn it! Mayumi, you just destroyed the respectful image he had about me!"

"What? You are the one who becomes like this each time someone mentions your boyfriend!"

The Watanabe let out a rather uncharacteristically girlish yell while the Saegusa protested, not acknowledging her fault despite the truth in her friend's words. Though, he had no idea about what Mari meant: if she was worried of Naruto starting to see her as someone who got regularly ridiculed, she didn't have to worry.

The opinion he had of her was already like that from their very first meeting.

After some more mayhem involving unladylike yells and the likes, the Student Council Room finally settled down. Naruto hadn't bothered to call them out about how they were supposed to be his seniors and thus should act more gracefully. They sure were being too open about their feelings when he was around…was it because he was Nagato-nii's brother?

"Well, what do you-" Mari returned to sip her tea once again, only to abruptly stop. She was disappointed when nothing came out of the cup. Checking the teapot, annoyance assaulted her once again when she was it empty. With a huff, she clicked her tongue "What timing."

"If you don't mind, I can refill the pot for you." Naruto tilted his head.

"There's no need. You are supposed to be our guest, so sit down." With a wave of her hand, she prompted him to continue. "Returning to the topic, what do you want to ask?"

"Mmm." Humming, the blonde thought of a way to ask this without appearing too intrusive "You are supposed to be the Chief of the Public Morals Committee, right?"

"That's my role, yes."

"Could we talk about it a little?"

"Oh?" Leaning towards him, she quirked an eyebrow elegantly "From your words, it seems you are interested in my group."

Naruto shifted a little uncomfortably. Did she detect the fact that he was attempting to gather information? He shouldn't have appeared as suspicious due to the Public Morals' activities being somewhat common knowledge.

Lying would be counterproductive. The Shinobi didn't hide his intentions.

"Well, when you put it that way, that's exactly how it is. The Public Morals Committee is fairly interesting as a-"

CRACK!

...before he could finish, ominous cracking sounds spread over the room like a tidal wave. It hit their ears, and both Mari and Naruto, given their training as martial artists, immediately turned towards the source.

It seemed that Mayumi had returned to sitting on her desk when Mari had decided to converse with the Uzumaki. Beyond that, she had been ignored, thus she had likely returned to her duties as President.

As if what Naruto had said before had pushed the button directly connected to a missile with the power of a nuke, the occupants found themselves greatly unsettled by what their eyes were witnessing.

"Uh…uhuhuhuh!"

What couldn't be described accurately with mere words. Either she was whimpering or derisively chuckling, but Saegusa Mayumi's figure was hunched on itself, almost curled up if one dared.

Her left petite hand, which Naruto had considered as a testament to her fragile body befitting a young girl, was now strongly grappling the corner of her wooden desk. Splintered, miraculously her palm wasn't injured and nothing pierced her delicate flesh.

Her beautiful black hair was like a cascade flowing over her face. Her natural red eyes, despite being covered, unaccountably shone as two crimson orbs.

Naruto mentally gave himself a pat on his back for worrying about a senpai that had the potential of giving someone a dozen of new holes in their body through the use of magically conjured ice spikes.

"I see…uhuh, I see! So the Student Council doesn't 'suit your style', but Mari's Public Morals are good enough. What a fool was I! I am well aware that the workload of the Student Council is infernal, but I didn't want to get pushed into this either…everyone just forced me…no one directs enough gratitude to my efforts…sniff…I want to return home after school, but I always have work…my sisters sure have it easy…and Hanzo-kun always reprimands me…sniff…I'm taking my work seriously…sniff…"

What started as a potential threat to his wellbeing ended up with nothing more than a small, rightfully justified fit of silent crying that made the blonde, in a_ few words_, feel like an absolute asshole that had no right to even worm his body over a guillotine and end his miserable existence.

Once again, Mari's glare was like a cold shower. Caught between a girl he had unconsciously made cry and a skilled Magician that was just moments away from drawing her sword to cut him in half, the 'Bloom' didn't even have to think before attempting to soothe his senpai.

"Ah! Senpai, I didn't mean it like that. No, well, I don't want to join the Student Council, but the-!"

"Shut up."

"…eh?"

Hiding her head in her drawn-up knees, she repeated: "Shut up, you are obnoxious."

If this was some a western movie of the last century, Naruto was sure that a ball of hay would have already been rolling behind him, as if to punctuate the dreadful chill that the Elven Sniper's words brought.

To amend for his errors…no, to at least settle his consciousness, Naruto had to persevere. Making a girl cry wasn't something that particularly bothered him, but when she had every right to do so and he had acted like a dick, this could be considered a sin for which he would pay dearly.

He was about to do so when a hand grabbed his shoulder. Turning around, he saw Mari giving him a shake of her head, a sign of 'don't bother'. Needless to say, the whiskered student couldn't understand her reasoning. She had been adamant in protecting her friend, so why was she interfering?

"Mari-senpai?"

"Ah, how to explain this…? From time to time, Mayumi gets like that."

…the hell?

"Wait." Naruto whirled around to look in her eyes, a serious frown on his face "I'm not sure to have heard this properly. This sort of attitude is the norm for you guys?!"

"Unfortunately, that's how it is." Despite the gravity of what she was saying, Mari was nonchalantly checking her nails for any imperfection. The absolute epitome of I-don't-care behavior, as if she had repeated this explanation more than a single time "She can get really emotional and when it happens, she either storms out from the room or curls up in a ball for a few minutes."

Weren't the two supposed to be best friends or something like that?

"…isn't that, like, really bad? I'm not an expert, but I'm sure that a complicated name for this sort of issue exists." Naruto muttered, not convinced at all.

"It doesn't hinder her way of life. Even if it sounds serious, these situations usually last no more than five minutes. Also, sometimes she also fakes it to get what she wants, so I suggest you don't let yourself entrapped in her thorns."

Grimacing under his breath, the blonde raptly listened to her explanation. Was it some kind of messed up curse? Magicians or Shinobi alike, both sides held problems of different magnitude but of the same type: Miyuki was totally nuts for her brother, Tatsuya was like a robot, Mayumi…well, this. And let's not mention the Shinobi's side.

What would he meet next: an overpowered Magician feared from an entire nation like some sort of evil god, but with the emotional capacity of a kid affected by Alexithymia?

Nervously glancing at Mayumi, who was still whimpering, Naruto made the conclusion that she was definitely not faking it. Perhaps exaggerating it, but she was in a state where all her pent-up feelings about her school-life obligations were released to bare. It would benefit her, was his honest opinion.

Thinking about it, he wasn't even used to comfort people, nor had anyone ever comforted him affectionately. He did have a few holes in his memory, but they had to be unimportant trivialities.

Naruto saw Mari walk over Mayumi. Massaging her back with waving motion of her palm, she succeeded only slightly, but it was better than nothing. At some point, the swordswoman had started to whisper something to console her. He had the distinct feelings that she was belittling him in an attempt of laughing it off with Mayumi. The thing was that he couldn't even protest.

After some minutes, Mayumi calmed down. Her face was still pointed down though, only that she had her arms crossed under it instead of her knees, resting on the surface of her desk. It was in improvement, he supposed. At least better than anything he would have obtained.

Mari returned to her seat. Crossing her legs while releasing a sigh, she glanced at Naruto, a questioning look that he interpreted as 'won't you continue our conversation?'.

'After all of this, she still wants to discuss it? Talk about a mind of steel…' This was his 'praise' towards her resolution. He was going to follow her suggestion though: after all that mess, he wasn't about to waste it by saying something uncaring and selfish like 'it doesn't matter'.

"Okay…where were we?" He began calmly.

"To the part where you mentioned your interest in the Public Morals, I recall." Mari answered. At some point, she had filled the teapot and poured more in her cup. Taking a sip, she continued, her voice possessing…a warning edge to it, as if ready to draw a blade "By the way, I might as well say this in advance: don't make Mayumi cry a second time without a good reason. If you do, you will wake up in the hospital with a permanent injury, Nagato-senpai's brother or not."

It seemed that even if she had regarded the previous problem as something that regularly happened and it couldn't be helped, Mari couldn't bear that her friend was now in a negative mood and as a consequence channeled her ire to the blonde.

'I might have underestimated her wish of having me in the Student Council…'

It was beautiful. The friendship that tied the two girls was simpler than a relationship between schoolmates or classmates. It was more complicated than it could appear on the surface. Mari couldn't simply forgive someone for making her best friend cry, thus her menace towards him.

By some, these words could be taken as harassment in the form of a violence threat. Even if she was in the upper part of the social pyramid, that still didn't forgive such a barbarian act.

The Uzumaki reacted differently. Bowing his head in a regretful manner, he voiced out his true feelings: "It won't happen a second time."

Mari's golden eyes thinned. Two slim fingers holding her western-style teacup, she scrutinized her kouhai for any sign of a lie or falseness. When she didn't find any, the woman nodded in acceptance. Naruto had no way of seeing this action of hers, but he raised his head when she didn't say anything else.

"Returning to the topic, I wanted to ask Mari-senpai about the Public Morals Committee."

"What exactly do you want to know?"

"Composition, selection of members, duties…that sort of stuff, I guess."

The blonde was already prepared when the short-haired girl sent him an inquisitive look, her eyebrow raised in curiosity: "That's an odd request. It's as if you are preparing for a battle."

Agreeing with her but not speaking it aloud, Naruto told it to her in a way that wouldn't raise too many question marks: "I feel…more at ease when I know what I'm dealing with." Scratching the back of his head, he chuckled "That probably comes out as strange, doesn't it?"

"Ahah! I'm not foreign to the feeling, knowing your enemy isn't forbidden after all. Given your recent actions, you will probably get caught in trouble once again." Taking his odd actions in stride, the Watanabe chuckled in a way that she usually wouldn't show to other underclassmen "I see, Nagato-senpai certainly said something in this regard."

Rising from her seat elegantly, one arm akimbo, Mari walked over to a white-board aligned with the left wall from the entrance. Using a black marker, she began to scribble something Naruto couldn't point out due to her back covering it.

It was a somehow antiqued method. From an outsider, he would have expected her to turn on a terminal and show him the details through a screen. She didn't seem that type of person, so it probably had to do with that.

"Here!"

Mari caught the Uzumaki's attention with a slam to the board. A small smile, as if enjoying the fact that a junior was listening to her, made him feel at ease despite how he was doing this to gather information.

Naruto raptly stared at the board when she pointed at the sketch she had drawn.

"The Public Morals are composed of, excluding my membership, 9 members in total. These nine members are chosen by the Student Council, Club Management Group and the teachers. Each one has the right to pick three students. When all of them are grouped, they elect the Chief. As the one occupying the role, I have the right to expel or welcome new members when I deem it appropriate."

"Second, you asked about our duties. Needless to say, we are called Public Morals exactly for the reason that we uphold the respect and security in the school grounds, by _force_ if necessary. The members act alone and patrol the school grounds regularly, in search of rule breakers or conflicts. If we find one, we obviously stop it. Due to the nature of it, we are all required to be strong enough to subdue at least two students without aid. And when they are done, our members escort the students to Katsuto, where he will handle them _personally."_

By the end of the rather simple explanation, Mari gave him a proud smile of 'how was that?' He couldn't help but smirk, amused. On the other hand, she stressed certain words a little too much: specifically, terms related to violence or pain.

"I'd say that more or less cover the basics. I won't bother to give you the annoying, technical terms, but if you have any specific question, don't be shy."

Biting his lips in thought, the blonde recalled what she had said. The members had to be strong if they were accepted into the Committee, so no doubt they were all top notch fighters. He couldn't testify for the teachers' picks, given their generally stupid nature and how they had probably made their choices based on tests' results.

But Mayumi of the 'Omnipotent' Saegusa was undoubtedly an A-Class Magician, maybe beyond that. And the heir of Juumonji 'Phalanx' was someone to not be underestimated: the best defense in the whole world wasn't a term to be taken lightly. Even Gaara himself had acknowledged them as the best out there.

They had surely picked excellent student. Because of his job being the gathering of information, he had to get something on their abilities. He would lie if he said he wasn't personally curious about it.

"Then, tell me a little about the members…"

**XxX**

Mari felt that her position as the leader of the Public Morals Committee was something that she was allowed to take pride in. In a way, she could have been considered as the best close-quarters Magician in First High. Mayumi and Katsuto were strong, but the two specialized in different fields.

As a consequence, it was only to be expected that her group had to be composed by the best fighters in the institute. She despised the Bloom/Weed belief, so it was obvious that she wouldn't easily accept someone in the Public Morals in case they harbored doubtful creeds in their hearts, no matter how talented they were.

The fact that most of her members were proficient in combat and not discriminatory towards the Course 2 students, though she couldn't say for the students elected by the teaching staff, was what made her 'proud' of them.

Thus, the scene before her eyes was one of the few things she thoroughly enjoyed.

"...are you serious?" Naruto sent her a deadpanned look.

"Yes, absolutely." Mirth laced in her tone, she replied.

The response of the blonde was a silent one. His stare remained on her for a few seconds before reverting to a steadier one. Still, there was something akin to light amazement in the way he sighed a moment later.

"Seriously, a punch that surpasses the speed of sound, creating shockwaves as a consequence…it's simple in terms, but I bet the blow itself is quite amazing."

"Oh? I believed that you wouldn't be that astonished by this revelation. Sawaki is one of the best Magicians when it's about martial arts, but you aren't weak by any means." Still amused by his reaction, confusion also came to her when she heard him of all people muttering words that vaguely sounded like 'even I can't do that'.

Once again, the stare that settled on her was a semi-glare that plainly expressed his annoyance at her. In deep thought, he looked at his right hand, flexing his wrist left and right in a strange motion.

"Well, it's not as if I can't manage something similar, but fine control isn't my specialty. I'd probably miscalculate the speed and recoil control and end up with a dislocated shoulder, snapped wrist. Worst case, I might end up with my face kissing the ground due to the acceleration being too great in my case."

"Mmm...really?"

Mari quirked an eyebrow at his explanation: she was justified in having some doubts about his words.

Back at the canteen, the speed at which he had travelled wasn't as fast as sound, but the human perceptions wouldn't have realized the difference anyway. The Watanabe had rather sharp senses, so she could manage to keep up with that speed, at least with her eyes.

Naruto had achieved instant acceleration from a position in which he had been absolutely still. That in itself was worth of praise, given that to facilitate the process, Magicians usually took a running start and then applied Personal Speed-Type Magic that annulled inertia or shortened how much distance one could cover in an amount of limited time.

The blonde had done none of that. Mari wasn't a slouch in theory, but she wasn't an expert either. She was fine with above average results that could be applied in combat, thus she still had confidence in being able to understand her enemies' spells.

Yet, it made no sense. The only option she could come up with was that he had considered his entire body as a single concept and brought it forward at extreme speeds. She had heard from Naotsugu that one of his older brother's signature spells was something along these lines.

That would have been a reasonable solution to her dilemma. She could have concluded her own question with this sound theory…

But she had sensed no trace of Psions that usually accompanied spell-making.

That was supposed to be impossible. No matter how insignificantly small, every spell had to be present with the Psions needed to activate the CAD or the medium in Ancient Magic's case. The caster could reduce the amount to the absolute minimum to the point of lowered presence, but ignoring how that had never been managed by anyone yet, at least a small amount had to be sensed.

There had been about 30 student gathered in the lunch hall during the small fight between Naruto and Morisaki. Such a high number of persons aware of Magic had to at least feel the surge of particles from his way. Mari could understand if it was a small spell and thus some could have missed it, but she was sure that there was far more depth in the method he had used to seemingly teleport near Morisaki.

Ancient Magic was still extremely secret in its secrets. Even if in this age most families of this art were more open with their researches and mysteries, some Clans like the Uzumaki were currently avoiding the lingering gazes of many researchers.

Thinking about it, Nagato-senpai had similar abilities. For all the time she had known him, the red-haired genius had been prone to strange happenings: sometime he moved to the other side of a hallway without her notice or achieving it in an instant. In a way, despite having never seen him in the process, it sounded awfully familiar with how Naruto had left mere afterimages with his movements.

Could it be that the Uzumaki Family, the Ancient Magicians considered the absolute pinnacle of the old arts, had somehow achieved a perfect presence concealment that made it so that the enemy couldn't detect a spell in its making?

If so, she wouldn't consider their discretion as an exaggeration. All kinds of people would desire something that deleted the spell detection and thus granted stealth properties, which were usually the characteristics of Ancient Magic spells, while preserving activation speed and variety of effects that one could find in Modern Magic.

"Oiii…Mari-senpai?"

Yet, there were still a few questions unanswered.

"Could you stop ignoring me?"

He had stopped too abruptly. At that speed, she could have sworn that he would have turned into a puddle of organs if he had stopped. Also…

Her thought came to a halt when she was something flashing its way towards her. Even with her reflexes, her body wasn't in a readied state. Her mind couldn't register it…!

When a finger poked her right in her sides.

"KYAA!"

Jumping from her seat, she fortunately landed on her feet. Not even a second after, Mari's hand uselessly attempted to cover her mouth from spouting a sound that had already been heard by the blonde near her.

His limbs still hung in its guilty motion, Naruto wore an astonished expression that Mari believed was already outdated on his features. His blue eyes widened, he remained on his seat frozen from the sudden turns of events.

In contrast, while the Uzumaki's mental functions were still and unmoving, the victim glared in embarrassment and indignation. Gritting her teeth, her face flushed red by the sudden feeling she had experienced a few seconds ago, she wrapped her body with her arms in a tentative of hiding the shame she felt.

"W-what the hell do you think you are doing?!" The indignant demand came from her mouth as a feminine half-scream which she had no strength to regret, more occupied with her righteous fury.

Her voice brought back Naruto from his shock. He observed her for barely an instant. Then his expression turned to a reflecting one, as if having to reorganize the events that had taken place.

"Senpai, I can't believe it...so you are capable of such girlish actions. That scream was rather cute."

Quite clearly, the blonde was no adept at bringing the storm in a woman's mind to a calmer breeze. Instead, he added more fuel to the fire and the flames of fury burning inside Mari's heart rose to her face. That would have explained her even redder blush, but she herself didn't understand if it was because of anger or shyness from his unexpected praise.

"You…! So what if I'm not that girlish?! I'm fine as I am, I don't need your input!"

"What?" At that, Naruto showed a truly puzzled look, seriously wondering what she was up to. Then realization hit his features and once again he solemnly clarified "No, you are misunderstanding, senpai. While I'm actually surprised, it suits you finely. Seeing you in this sort of light isn't bad. Also, I agree: senpai is already beautiful enough, changes are not needed."

It wasn't fair. Naruto was showing no shyness or sarcasm in his remarks, while Mari was steadily growing more embarrassed at the situation. It was unknown whether or not the blonde was aware of the effect of his compliments, but the older girl was easily affected by them.

She wasn't seen as very feminine by others, thus she had to admit that whenever someone praised her looks and not her sword skills, she felt unimaginably red on her cheeks.

Swallowing her troubled feelings, Mari tried to return her heartbeat to a normal rate. Blood was rushing to her face, and not matter how much she mulled over it, Naotsugu would either be displeased or depressed if he were to discover that she got riled up from another boy's words.

Coughing a few times, something that was apparently her signature gesture, the Watanabe passed a hand over a few wrinkles on her white uniform that she had obtained when she hugged herself tightly. Taking a random seat that was near her, she relaxed on it and changed the topic of the discussion.

"A-anyway! Explain to me! Why did you do that?! If it was a more irascible girl, she would have made you dearly pay for it!"

The Uzumaki shot her a look, somehow being able to send the message 'weren't you about to hit me?' Quite obviously, Mari countered with a similar look of 'wasn't it your fault from the start?'

Acknowledging his mistake, Naruto made a small gesture of closing his eyes while nodding to her. After that, he suddenly turned pensive.

Mari couldn't help but consider how much the blonde's attitude had abruptly morphed all of sudden: before he was far more cheerful, now he wasn't precisely cold but he had an expression that you wouldn't find on a high school student.

It was much like how sometime Mayumi turned calculating and emotionless, her red eyes not reflecting her usual cheerfulness. Even Katsuto on some occasions appeared as even more serious he normally was. Seeing similar characteristics on Naruto…

Just what had prompted such a change?

Her thoughts came to a halt when she remembered that she was supposed to be angry at him for having, in a sense, sexually harassed her with his finger…oh god, that sounded so wrong!

"Asking me why I poked you…" Naruto suddenly spoke. A hand over his mouth muffled his voice, but she understood easily anyway "You weren't paying me attention. Also, I was checking your muscle density. Isn't it normal? Martial artists do it all the time."

Mari sent him a deeply displeased look. Was that supposed to explain everything? "I don't know in what sort of environment they taught you this, but touching others out of the blue isn't exactly considered as a polite way of relating with someone. Not in Japan at least, I believe."

"Ah…" As if remembering something trivial that he had forgotten without any real reason, Naruto blankly stared at his feet. Again, it wasn't from depression but rather a pose he assumed whenever reflecting. He whispered, but she was able to overhear "Right, in this country people are awfully reserved."

Mari lost the count of how many times the weird student had taken her of surprise in a single day. It was ridiculous, but each time the blonde spoke she would discover something she would never imagine with her fantasy alone.

Magicians were considered as a 'property' of the nation they resided in. As they were few and rare in numbers, allowing them to travel around the world carelessly to other countries wasn't forbidden, but they required many procedures and special authorization. More so if the Magician had outstanding potential: in that case, they weren't even allowed to leave the country.

Mari knew that Naruto had talent easily rivalling the Ten Master Clans' members. The Uzumaki were considered by some of their few admirers as 'Element' or 'Eleventh' of the Numbers System. While the notion was too quick in judgment, no one could deny the truth that the Ancient Clan had power on par with the top Magic Families in the country.

As such, the careless statement of the blonde had alarmed her. It wasn't that serious because if special circumstances had accompanied it, going out of the country to another part of the world like the USNA would be unusual, but not utterly impossible.

Still, curiosity overtook her despite how it was rude to snoop in his business. Perhaps she was getting too intimate with him solely for the reason that he was Nagato-senpai's brother.

"Ah...Naruto-kun and Mari are sure getting along..."

Before Mari could do ask, a resigned voice crawled from the desk over their ears.

There was no need to speculate who it was. Unless Naruto had a way to change his voice, then the source of that lament could only be the elf-like girl sitting behind the large wooden desk, her arms sprawled over its surface.

"Mayumi…" A warning tone was already readied in Mari's tone, but she nevertheless kept her voice understanding and polite.

"Ah, don't misunderstand, Mari. I won't say something like 'are you cheating on your boyfriend?' or malicious remarks about how_ intimate_ you are with a boy _two years younger_ than you. I won't comment about how it's _unbecoming_ for the Chief of the Public Morals to_ steal_ potential members of the Student Council. I'm holding no jealousy whatsoever and right now_ I'm gripping the corner of my desk tightly just because I feel a strange compulsion to do so!_"

By the end of her outburst, Mayumi was doing her best in hiding indignation. After a few seconds, she began to gaze over nothing. Her eyes lingered on the only blonde in the room, who understandably flinched as if under a predator's stare. Deep in thought, the Saegusa kept doing so for an unknown amount of time.

As if having reached an enlightening conclusion, she snorted in an unladylike fashion and muttered something along the lines of 'why would I want him'.

Despite how Mayumi's current childishness was supposed to be his fault, Naruto managed to feel offended at the blatant dismissal.

The blonde looked over Mari, who shrugged in a way that told him to ignore it once again. He sighed and glanced to the digital clock hanging above the door. He dearly hoped that lesson were about to finish.

As if he had precognition about the matter, just like that, the bell rang.

**XxX**

"So, will you join or not?"

"Already jumping to these questions?"

Naruto had planned to immediately escape from the room after the lessons officially finished and he was authorized to make his way home. He had created this plan in the heat of the moment and when greatly agitated by being in a room with two beauties ready to slaughter him, but when things had settled down, he didn't have the adrenaline to follow up in his grand exit anymore.

Though, that didn't justify how Mari had already kept him for two minutes into the room. The door had been locked with an automatic device on the desk from Mayumi, who had strangely recovered and was observing the scene with a mixture of displeasure and fondness.

How remarkably flippant and volatile was her personality?

Calmly, he considered whether or not to smash the door down with an enhanced kick, with the same force he would have inflicted to Morisaki if the blonde hadn't felt particularly generous that moment. As quickly as it came, he dismissed the idea: Mari-senpai and Mayumi-senpai were already more 'chummy' than necessary with him, but he didn't desire to ruin his relationship points for something like his impatience.

"It can't be helped. The Public Morals still lacks two members: one to be selected by the Student Council, the other by the teaching staff." Mari explained her reasoning while standing between him and the door.

"I don't really get what you mean." His question was honest.

Not to mock him, Mari sighed: "As I explained to you, the nine members of the Public Morals are chosen by the Club Management, the Student Council and the teachers. This year, we lack two members due to last year's graduations. One was already chosen by the teachers but we have yet to officially welcome him, so in theory we only need one."

"In theory, you say?" Naruto quirked an eyebrow at her words.

"Well…" This time, Mari frowned in displeasure "It turned out that the guy chosen by the teacher turned out to be a discriminatory trigger-happy student. I'd say that this is only to be expected from the teachers' decision" Then, a soft grin on her features appeared "I can't exactly reject him outright, but thankfully a mysterious blonde sent him to the infirmary. Students have already witnessed who started the fight, so I'm sure that the teachers will try to save some face by refuting the decision they themselves made while relegating the selection of the new members to me."

It actually took some moments for Naruto to organize the information he had been given. When the obvious hints started to make him realize what the Watanabe had meant, he had probably showed surprise on his face due to Mari's smile widening.

"Ah!" The blonde put a closed hand on his palm, a sign of him having reached a conclusion "So Morisaki was supposed to be the new member? I can't say that they have made a good judgment in electing him."

That was an understatement. Morisaki Shun got so easily riled up that Naruto wouldn't be surprised if he started to shoot everyone when in an angry fit. That or the Uzumaki was impossibly adept at angering people. Judging from how he had already antagonized two thirds of his class, that notion couldn't be too wrong.

"Right." Mari nodded in agreement, walking over the window facing the entrance of the school. Students were naturally crowding all over it due to the school day having officially ended "As I'm sure that the staff will let me decide due to this incident, I'm sure that you know what this leads to and what I want to propose to you."

Of course, he wasn't stupid. Naruto was of the opinion that being good in studies and being bright and perceptive were two fundamentally different concepts. He had already predicted the flow of the conversation when Mari had begun to talk about this, so his answer was already prepared.

Mari's expression, if it was possible, became more solemn than before.

"Uzumaki Naruto, will you join the Public Morals Committee? I think that your talent is perfectly suited to operate in our group's operations, and I'm not about to let this go."

The blonde stood on his spot, only his blue eyes moving left and right, glancing to either Mayumi or Mari. Surprisingly enough, the President wasn't twitching or showing any sort of displeasure over Mari's blunt ignorance of her feelings over the matter.

Before, Mayumi had been adamant in having him as a member of the Student Council, thus it slightly unsettled him that she was now being so accepting. He wondered, what was up in her head?

Naruto considered the advantages of being in the Public Morals. Carrying CADs was pretty meaningless to him since he utilized hand seals and small chants to create the miracles called Magic. On the other hand, he could be allowed privileges like leaving class for some sort of business or gauging the total strength that First High packed through the constant fights that the students were bound to initiate.

Still, he had to consult this with Yakumo-sensei. Of course, he would do that after beating him up for drugging him this morning.

"Well…" Naruto was about to delay his response as courteously as he could…

"WHAT?!"

…when Mari shouted out with exasperation and fury in her voice.

For a moment, he wondered if he had done her some offense. That thought was discarded when he saw that she wasn't paying any sort of attention to him and was instead focused on something else, more specifically the window she was facing.

"Seriously…! I can't believe that they can be this dumb! I even warned them and now they are doing this! They will be lucky to be expelled, or I will hand them to Katsuto!"

"Uh?"

The blonde wasn't quite getting what she was referring to, but her dilemma had clearly something to do with a problem that was happening outside. And it had to be big, otherwise it wouldn't explain the murderous intent rolling off in waves from her body. It was impressive, to say the least.

Naruto's instinct alarmed him for her next decision.

As if the most natural course of action, Mari slammed the window open. All kind of indications that she was engaged in a conversation disappeared when she rolled her sleeve up and revealed a generalized CAD, shaped like a bracelet with the one of the ends above the other.

Clicking a few buttons, Mari's Activation Sequence started to circle around her hand. Emerald green Psions erupted from her form while her brain calculated the variables and coordinates of the spell. Finally, the Magic took shape and her body glowed in an unnatural light.

All of this happened in a single second.

"Wait, Mari!"

"Oi, Mari-senppai!"

Floating in a way that clearly defied any law of physics, the Chief didn't say anything else, her expression telling both Naruto and Mayumi that whatever was troubling the Watanabe would be dealt with force. In fact, their worries derived from the glowering glint in her golden eyes.

The swordswoman was using a Weight/Mass Type Magic that allowed for gravity pull to be lessened. Jumping from a window on the fourth floor of a building was just asking for a gory suicide but when her body became airborne, instead of falling to the ground helplessly, she moved at a much slower rate than it was supposed to be. It was in a way similar to the old science fiction films of the previous century, where astronauts on the Moon jumped and could levitate due to the intensity of gravity being different from Earth's.

"…"

"…"

Again, this happened so abruptly and out of the blue that even Naruto was taken off guard. Mayumi had a concerned look on her pretty face, her arm still hanging in a stopping motion, but now that Mari wasn't in the room anymore, she just appeared as an idiot.

As for Naruto, he couldn't comment on the Saegusa's current situation. He just stood there like an unmoving pillar, glancing at the open window, the breeze hitting his face, while his brain tried to work off its gears and attempting to come up with a solution to the following question.

'What the hell happened?!'

**XxX**

**So, I gave some perspective from Mari. One of Mahouka's flaws is that the other characters aren't that developed, and despite the fact that I'm not so arrogant to believe that I can make good backgrounds, I reasoned that I should at least put their thoughts about some events in the story. Mari being from the tail end of the Hundreds Families is true, so I figured that it wouldn't be a comfortable position to be in.**

**Mari and Mayumi's personalities might seem slightly different: that is either because the mood isn't serious or for the fact that Nagato lightly changed them. A given, since the guy had brought S-Rank criminals under his leadership. Yes, they were almost all psychotics with their own agenda, but it's still valid…maybe?**

**Naruto just can't get along with either Mayumi or Mari. I may consider it as a humor quirk that each time he meets a girl, he manages to start on the wrong foot and piss them off in some manner. Their expectations of Naruto had been biased by Nagato's presence, thus how Naruto isn't exactly happy about staying with them. Also explained a bit about the Uzumaki Clan in this chapter.**

**Yeah, Erika is unusually friendly, but we can see in the LN that she is strangely serious about different matters. She mentions Naruto's 'unnatural perfection', which has something to do with Body Techniques and his…'mental problems', let's say.**

**And Tatsuya's POV revealed that he didn't trust Naruto at all! Just what you would expect from a cold guy like him: he would gladly sacrifice anyone for the sake of Miyuki. And a strange flashback that is somehow ambiguous yet obvious…Miyuki hates Naruto in an innate way that is almost remarkable. **

**I didn't put Shizuku's POV, but I'll do so in the next chapter.**

**Naruto is crazy, but not mad to the point of rampaging around. He has stupid ideas and frequently gets dark thoughts, but that is against his moral inclination and he won't kill or harm without a solid reason. Yet, he considers himself as scum that should die for his past actions.**

**It's clear that a colossal existence in the Magic World like the Uzumaki Clan can't be ignored. Few know the truth about them, and even the more shady Clans still don't know everything. Saegusa Koichi is extremely wary of them, much like the other leaders. And Mayumi doesn't see Naruto in a good light either, more like a dark one. That doesn't mean she will cut ties with him, but she will definitely be wary of him.**

**I always thought that Mayumi was bound to have a weird personality, so why not expanding it in this story? It's mostly for humor purposes, and I can find Mari being the straight woman of the duo.**

**Naruto's mood can jump even quicker than a toad summoned by his Magic. He can be cheerful and an idiot, the next second he can shift to a more business-like attitude due to some event or statement from other characters. **

**Naruto, Mayumi and Mari may be getting too intimate for being Japanese, thus reserved, and also just acquaintances. Naruto mentioned that they were being too 'chummy'. My reasoning is that since Nagato is an important figure in their life despite how the Numbers Families are wary of every Uzumaki, meeting with his little brother is bound to summon some familiarity or intimacy.**

**To not misunderstand, Naruto was amazed by Sawaki's 'Mach Punch' due to the absurd speed. Naruto, as he said, can manage something similar. Obviously, he covered it up saying that 'he isn't accurate with Magic' to not let Mari discover that he can destroy steel bare-handed. Body Techniques are unknown to most of the cast, only the most powerful being aware. One might ask how so few know despite the colossal size that the Uzumaki Family has.**

**Naruto can easily tank such a blow, but he can do nothing about the speed. If he is caught without a mean to evade or with bad footing, he can see the hit but not evade in time. Reflexes are naturally not in tune with out reactions, and even if Naruto is a complete monster as he mentioned, evading something that travels above 345 meters per second at close-range is difficult. Still, he would receive little damage, so Sawaki would need thousands of these punches to actually floor him. Ops, look at that regeneration.**

**I think it's rather obvious about what happened at the end of the chapter. Morisaki is out since Naruto almost broke his collarbone. Although there will be an OC I have planned for this arc. This won't derail my next chapter, since actual interaction with that character will happen in chapter 4 or 5.**

**That is all, I think. If you have some question, don't be shy or rude to the point of destroying my innocent feelings and just ask me! Reviews and PMs are for that.**

**Good day or night!**


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